Health practitioner attitudes to psychosocial treatments in ADHD: impact of country, age, profession, and beliefs

Objectives

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects around 7% of children/ adolescents and 3% of adults. Treatment guidelines propose a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. Despite this, research has focused on use of medication, including how this varies between countries, with differences found between High Income Countries (HIC) and Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Studies have also identified that the role of practitioners is critical with their clinical ambivalence around ADHD impacting treatment. The present study aimed to examine the views of practitioners towards psychosocial treatments for ADHD in the UK (HIC) and Malaysia (LMIC).

Methods

Data was collected from health practitioners in the UK and Malaysia using an online survey to assess i) demographics and employment characteristics, ii) practitioners’ attitudes to psychosocial treatments for ADHD, iii) practitioners’ beliefs about ADHD.

Results

Respondents in Malaysia held more positive attitudes towards psychosocial interventions, despite having similar beliefs about the condition. Furthermore, attitude to psychosocial interventions was predicted by age of the practitioner, their qualification, and belief in ADHD as a real condition with biological markers.

Conclusions

This study has revealed some cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward non-pharmacological treatment for ADHD and provides a starting point for future research to move beyond examination of decision-making for pharmacological treatments only.