ADHD in children and adolescents – survey results and analyses of data from Gmünder ErsatzKasse GEK

Abstract

The present study focuses on the perspective of parents who have decided on pharmacological treatment. It aims to examine more closely the experiences of parents whose children have AD(H)D and have therefore already received medication, and to identify opportunities for improving the care situation from the parents’ perspective. The main focus of the study is therefore the presentation of results from an extensive survey of GEK-insured parents whose children had been prescribed medications typically used for AD(H)D. This is supplemented by results from qualitative parent interviews and findings from a nationwide survey of authorities concerning the handling of AD(H)D in schools. Results of the analysis of prescription data that formed the basis for the survey study are documented in Chapter 5.4 (substudy III). The aim of the work is not to judge parents of children with AD(H)D or how they deal with the condition, nor to assign blame. Rather, the work seeks to provide a more precise picture of the current care situation from the parents’ perspective, identify possible deficits, and present starting points for future improvements.