The South Australian government recently pushed back against norms, taking a major stand against the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses. Specifically trained General Practitioners (GPs) will be given new powers to diagnose ADHD by 2026. This recent effort will help improve patients’ access to these crucial mental health services. Under the law in the state right now, adults have to get diagnosed by a psychiatrist, and children have to be diagnosed by a paediatrician.
The ruling comes in response to increasing demands for ADHD evaluations. It addresses the lengthy red tape that patients have to wait through. Provincial Health Minister Chris Picton stressed that patients should not have to spend over $2,000 diagnosing themselves. The promised reforms will reduce the burden on psychiatrists and pediatricians. This fix will enable them to focus their talents on other critical facets of mental health.
Support from Health Professionals
Deborah McLean, president of the South Australian Psychiatric Association (SAPA), welcomed the new rule amendments. She explained that they would help more people get the care, transportation, and housing they need.
“I think for a lot of people, though, this is a really positive step forward and a way to be able to access the essential services they need,” – Deborah McLean
She recognized that though the changes will benefit the majority, they can still introduce dangers for others.
“One of the risks that this [change] potentially poses is that we’re only seeing part of the person, rather than a whole person,” – Deborah McLean
McLean underscored the large and growing need for this kind of specialized, integrated care. He cautioned that focusing on just one piece of the puzzle would leave patients with ADHD with suboptimal solutions.
Siân Goodson, chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), emphasised an understatement. She warned that not all GPs will decide to undergo the additional training required to expand diagnosis of ADHD. Annoyingly, she said that most GPs talk as if they are co-managing ADHD patients. They are used to prescribing a medication as soon as the diagnosis is made.
“GPs are often co-managing these patients already, so we often prescribe once we’ve got the diagnosis confirmed,” – Siân Goodson
Impacts on Patients and Families
For families of color who have sought diagnoses for ADHD, unnecessary stigma and discrimination have created substantial financial burdens. Advocacy Vaia Allen described how a diagnosis for her 12-year-old daughter Pippa cost her family about $3,000 out of pocket. She said that ever since they put Pippa on the meds, Pippa was doing her best work at school.
“When we got Pip on ADHD medication, it was so helpful … in her classroom for her teacher, the students around her, and obviously for herself,” – Vaia Allen
Allen emphasized the difference a timely diagnosis and treatment could make, calling it a game changer for a child’s life trajectory.
“It’s really obvious to me that the education outcomes are so important in terms of their focus and changing their life trajectory,” – Vaia Allen
She highlighted how Pippa has benefited from the treatment, saying, “She can sit there, listen and understand now.”
Anticipated Changes in Mental Health Services
These proposed rule changes are part of a larger movement to reform mental health services within Australia and beyond. Now the Western Australian government has signed on to these same reforms. Such a decision comes on the heels of a similar step by New South Wales earlier this year.
Health Minister Chris Picton argued that allowing GPs to diagnose ADHD will free up “significant capacity” among psychiatrists and paediatricians. This is extremely important. Too many people struggle for years as their condition goes undiagnosed, causing misery in their schooling and lives.
“We see people waiting a long time for that diagnosis falling behind at school and the outcomes are less good,” – Deborah McLean
McLean noted that many adults constitute a growing patient population, having only recently discovered how they have lived with undiagnosed ADHD for decades. The monetary hurdles to getting in-person psychiatric evaluations usually do not make them available to them.
“I certainly see many patients in my practice who are adults who are coming forward realizing that they’ve had undiagnosed ADHD for a long time but they are just unable to afford getting that diagnosis done by a psychiatrist,” – Deborah McLean
