Comment: NICE and informative differences between countries
Rob Rodrigues Pereira
pp 63-63
In this issue of ADHD in practice, you can read about the differences between countries concerning the diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In the UK, clinical practice is based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, but at the other end of the Channel Tunnel, practice is totally different.
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ADHD in the criminal justice system: challenges and recent findings
Rafael A González
pp 64-67
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterised by a combination of symptoms including inattention, hyperactivity/ impulsivity, as well as overall problems with executive functioning and the ability to self-regulate. Hyperactivity and impulsivity symptoms are often related to externalising and are associated with behavioural problems later in life. The expression of these core ADHD symptoms may have a strong link with delinquency and criminality. Inattentiveness may also play a role in a delinquent trajectory, taking place through low educational attainment and functional deficits in daily living. In this context, it is not surprising that adolescents and adults with ADHD abound in correctional services worldwide, and come into contact with the criminal justice systems more often than individuals without the disorder. Here, we review the latest findings regarding the links between ADHD and offending behaviours, and the most recent international prevalence rates of the disorder in prisons. In addition, the implications of having ADHD and its main comorbidities in the criminal justice system, and the role of treatment in this setting are discussed.
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Excellence in Specialist Mental Health
Nathan Hodson
pp 68-69
On a crisp October morning, a diverse group of professionals converged upon Broad Oak Manor in Hertfordshire, UK, for the eighth seminar in Nouvita’s Excellence in Specialist Mental Health series. The speakers at the one-day meeting were equally multidisciplinary, with presentations from a mentor to people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a teacher, and healthcare professionals. The talks were thematically linked by the idea that modern life presents particular challenges to the ADHD brain and that talking openly with patients and their families can guide thinking towards strengths and solutions, rather than negatives.
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Cognitive and dialectical behavioural therapies for adults with ADHD
Rosetta Nicastro, Paco Prada and Nader Perroud
pp 70-76
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which affects around 4% of adults, is associated with marked impairments in familial, social and professional functioning and has recently been linked to reduced life expectancy and significant morbidity.
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Implementation of a parent training programme in child behaviour management
Benoit Dutray
pp 77-79
An increasing volume of research supports the use of evidence based practice for psychosocial interventions in primary school-aged children with ADHD. This is opening a new era in child and adolescent psychiatry in France, where services in child and adolescent psychiatric settings are mainly influenced by psychoanalytically oriented practice.
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Abstract watch: Comorbidities, markers and medication monitoring
Nigel Humphrey
pp 80-80
Research into ADHD continues at an encouraging pace and pleasingly there is a vast body of knowledge developing. In this edition of Abstract Watch, we highlight a study by Liebrenz et al,which explores the association between ADHD subtypes and substance use. An interesting study by Martin et al reveals more about the nature of friendships among children with ADHD. In the quest for neuroimaging markers, Hammer et al explore functional MRI in visuospatial working memory tasks, with good results. Our last abstract is a ray of hope for the needle-phobic; Stegmann et al highlight a method for quanitifying ADHD medications in oral fluid.
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