The Winding Road to Equal Care: Attitudes and Experiences of Prescribing ADHD Medication among Pediatric Psychiatrists: A Qualitative Study

David Sjöström, Olof Rask, Linda Welin, Marie Galbe Petersson, Peik Gustafsson, Kajsa Landgren and Sophia Eberhard ()
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David Sjöström: Office for Psychiatry, Habilitation and Aid, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Region Skåne, 20502 Malmö, Sweden
Olof Rask: Office for Psychiatry, Habilitation and Aid, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Region Skåne, 20502 Malmö, Sweden
Linda Welin: Office for Psychiatry, Habilitation and Aid, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Region Skåne, 20502 Malmö, Sweden
Marie Galbe Petersson: Office for Psychiatry, Habilitation and Aid, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Region Skåne, 20502 Malmö, Sweden
Peik Gustafsson: Office for Psychiatry, Habilitation and Aid, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Region Skåne, 20502 Malmö, Sweden
Kajsa Landgren: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, 22240 Lund, Sweden
Sophia Eberhard: Office for Psychiatry, Habilitation and Aid, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, Region Skåne, 20502 Malmö, Sweden

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Evidence is lacking on how to understand the reasons for variations, both in prevalence of ADHD and ADHD medication prescribing patterns in children and adolescents, within Region Skåne. These variations are not in line with current national clinical guidelines and seem to have increased over time. This qualitative interview study illuminates pediatric psychiatrists’ attitudes toward ADHD and their experiences of prescribing ADHD medication. Eleven pediatric psychiatrists described the complex interplay of variables that they experienced while assessing a child, which had influence on their decision to prescribe medication. Being part of a local unit’s culture influenced how ADHD medications were prescribed. They wished that the assessment of the child’s symptoms was consistent with guidelines in every unit but noted that such alignment was not implemented. They pointed out that an ADHD diagnosis is dependent on the surrounding’s motivation and capacity to adapt to the present state of the child. The participants described how they balanced clinical guidelines with demands from the family, as well as from society at large. Their personal attitudes and clinical experiences towards diagnosing and prescribing medications to children with ADHD influenced their decisions. The study adds information about how attitudes may lead to variation in diagnostics and therapy.

Keywords: ADHD; prescription variation; child and adolescent psychiatry; qualitative method; parents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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