PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Emma Rezel-Potts
AU  - Maria Kordowicz
AU  - Johnny Downs
AU  - Patrick White
AU  - Vibhore Prasad
TI  - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: parent/carer perceptions of barriers to healthcare access
AID  - 10.1136/archdischild-2020-321362
DP  - 2021 Mar 19
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood
PG  - archdischild-2020-321362
4099  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/05/07/archdischild-2020-321362.short
4100  - http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/05/07/archdischild-2020-321362.full
AB  - Background Children and young people (CYP) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face delays in diagnosis and barriers to accessing appropriate interventions. Evidence is limited on how these barriers are perceived by their parents and carers.Methods Focus group in South London with parents/carers of CYP with ADHD. Data were thematically analysed using an inductive/deductive hybrid approach.Results Participants (n=8) described the challenge of accessing services within a disjointed, multiagency system for their CYP’s ADHD and broader health needs. They described feeling judged and overlooked by healthcare professionals, which could negatively impact the health, relationships and educational progress of their children. Pragmatic solutions were proposed, including providing parents with information on navigating services at an early stage of ADHD symptom recognition.Conclusions Parents/carers sought improved continuity of care within and between services. They are a key group for consultation on the development of interventions to improve access for CYP with ADHD.Data are available upon reasonable request. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author (ER-P) upon reasonable request.