Views & Experiences of people accessing or requiring ADHD support services
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Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees began working with a Care Navigator from the Stockton Community Mental Health Team based at Wessex House. They introduced Healthwatch to Larissa. Larissa has a diagnosis of ADHD and shared with us her experiences of living with the condition, the challenges she faced and what positive changes she thinks could be made to help others experiencing similar difficulties within the community of Stockton-on-Tees. Larrissa became a Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees Champion and supported them to gather additional feedback and intelligence from the local community about their experiences of ADHD, awareness of information, referral pathways and any challenges that are being experienced. They spoke to 30 people.
Key findings:
- People experienced extensive waiting times – no clear timescales available.
- There was a lack of understanding or awareness of ADHD and the impact on individuals and families.
- There were unclear referral pathways.
- There was a lack of adequate signposting to helpful information, including coping strategies.
- Questions were raised regarding private assessments – some GPs would not accept a private diagnosis for prescription purposes.
- Some professionals in other health and care services were found not to be supportive of individual needs, such as displayed behaviours and allocation of appointment times.
- The people Healthwatch spoke to overwhelmingly described how peer support would prove highly beneficial in improving wellbeing, providing the ability to share coping mechanisms, have a better understanding of the condition and potential strategies to mitigate poor mental health outcomes.