Waiting time up to one year: Record high demand for ADHD explanations

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If you’re lucky, you’ll get one within six months. If you’re unlucky, just a year from now: Appointment for ADHD disclosure. Waiting times for clarification of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have reached a new record in Switzerland. This is demonstrated by a Blick survey.

The child and adolescent psychiatry department, one of the largest clinics at the University Psychiatric Hospital (PUK) in Zurich, is in high demand. Anyone not classified as an emergency currently must wait up to nine months for an appointment. To reduce waiting times, PUK Zurich has been offering online discussion groups for young people since January.

It looks similar in Basel and Aargau. The waiting period for adults at the Psychiatric Services Aargau (PDAG) is nine months and this trend is increasing. The number of registrations in outpatient clinics for children and young people has “more than doubled” in the last seven years, writes senior doctor Rainer Kment.

Some applications even required freezing of logins. BrainArc, a larger, specialized practice in Zurich, has not been accepting new patients since November. Recently the waiting period was ten to twelve months. Despite the freeze on entries clearly stated on the website, approximately ten inquiries are made each day. There is also a freeze on admission to the Psybern private clinic.

Dozens of calls for help every day

ADHD organization Elpos Switzerland receives dozens of requests every day for addresses where they can get help. But free appointments are rare everywhere. Elpos Switzerland reports that a waiting period of six months or a full year is now normal. To bridge the gap, the organization directs those seeking help to self-help groups that it voluntarily establishes and runs.

One thing is clear: awareness of the disease among experts and the public has increased significantly in recent times. “ADHD has already entered our society,” writes Susanne Walitza, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at PUK Zurich, and teachers and parents are sensitive about it. Evelyn Herbrecht, chief physician at the University Psychiatric Clinic in Basel, says not only is awareness of mental disorders increasing, but referrals by schools and parents are also occurring more quickly. It is noteworthy that patients in child and adolescent psychiatry are getting younger and younger. Walitza: “There are more preschool children evaluated than there were years ago.”

Increased performance pressure and overstimulation

Greater awareness is just one reason for the rush to ADHD evaluations. Increased performance pressure and sensory overload caused by social media also played a role, some experts report. Walitza writes that pathological media consumption is increasing among children and teenagers.

“In our fast-moving, digitalizing world, young people are exposed to many external stimuli,” writes Kment from Aargau. A high degree of adaptability is required from them. Children and teens with ADHD fall outside the norm because they have difficulty meeting increased demands in school and family.

Many more students were affected

It is also notable that students have been more likely to seek ADHD testing since the pandemic. Stephan Kupferschmid, chief physician of the Private Clinic Meiringen and board member of the Swiss ADHD Association, suspects the reason for this is the push for digitalisation during the pandemic: Most lectures are watched exclusively online and studies are also accelerating. : “Students need more and more stimulation processes.” A challenge for those who are not among the best in their class when it comes to concentration.

The increase in Corona is especially clearly visible in the number of drugs sold: While around 60,000 people took ADHD medications in 2019, their share increased sharply during the pandemic years. According to the assessment made by Helsana on behalf of Blick, more than 92,000 people are expected to have taken Ritalin and similar preparations by 2023. For comparison: In the mid-2000s, there were only 20,000 Ritalin users.

Despite the rush in clinics, the number of ADHD diagnoses has remained stable for years, experts emphasize. Maybe this disorder is just a trend? There are indicators of this. Walitza writes that not everyone who suspects they have ADHD actually has it. The increase in disclosures shows that non-ADHD cases also increase in proportion to the number of inquiries.

Kupferschmid: “Demand has increased.” Mental disorders are no longer stigmatized as much as they used to be. Some even have a certain charm; especially among young people who openly declare their “neurodiversity” on social media. It’s important to find the right balance here: not to use mental illness as an excuse, but also not to stigmatize it. In all cases, a differentiated and professional explanation is required.

Source : Blick