Psychosocially supporting the teenager with ADHD

Statistics suggest approximately 2–5% of young people are diagnosed with ADHD in Britain today. ADHD is widely accepted to be a neurological disorder which is characterised by three predominant behaviours; hyperactivity, inattentiveness and impulsivity. It is these behaviours that often make teenage children with ADHD more susceptible to developing co-occurring mental health difficulties like anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. ADHD can also make young people more susceptible than their peers to adopt risk taking behaviours and develop anti-social behaviours. Although the literature suggests the hyperactivity associated with ADHD diminishes in teenage years it is now more widely believed symptoms are still evident, but are more likely to manifest differently. For example excessive whole body movement hyperactivity more commonly exhibited in younger children with ADHD is more likely to manifest it’s self in teenage years by continued fidgeting. It is, however, the delayed neurobiological developmental problems linked to the executive control functions of the brain; controlling memory, emotional regulation, the ability to analyse and synthesise, that can often begin to cause the maturing child more difficulty. This is because executive functioning are especially needed in the school environment, to goal set, problem solve, remember things, organise and direct one’s self. All this, alongside the natural psychosocial changes of puberty can therefore make adolescence a particularly challenging time for a young person with ADHD. The Primary Care Nurse is very well positioned to play an important role in supporting families living with ADHD. This is because despite the difficulties teenagers face with ADHD, the reality is, if they and their family receive the right bio-psychosocial support throughout their childhood young people with ADHD will be better equipped to take on life’s demands and the multiple challenges adulthood will bring. To ensure the young person receives all the necessary support they require the Primary Care Nurse will need to ensure the teenager’s holistic needs are addressed. It is therefore important that the Nurse does not focus exclusively on young person’s biological needs i.e. the monitoring of medication, physical health or development, but they also address the young person’s psychosocial needs. This paper will illustrate how the primary care nurse can support a teenager and their family psychosocially. How this help needs to differ from the support of a younger primary school child will also be highlighted. Three case examples, likely to be seen in primary care, are used to help describe the beneficial types of support young people with mild to moderate ADHD behaviours may receive. It is important to note although biological pharmacological interventions plays an important part in helping many young people with ADHD this article does not discuss this form of support.