Evidence-based guidelines for management of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adolescents in transition to adult services and in adults: recommendations from the British Association for Psychopharmacology

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an established diagnosis in children, associated with a large body of evidence on the benefits of treatment. Adolescents with ADHD are now leaving children's services often with no readily identifiable adult service to support them, which presents problems as local pharmacy regulations often preclude the prescription of stimulant drugs by general practitioners (GPs). In addition, adults with ADHD symptoms are now starting to present to primary care and psychiatry services requesting assessment and treatment. For these reasons, the British Association for Psychopharmacology (BAP) thought it timely to hold a consensus conference to review the body of evidence on childhood ADHD and the growing literature on ADHD in older age groups. Much of this initial guidance on managing ADHD in adolescents in transition and in adults is based on expert opinion derived from childhood evidence. We hope that, by the time these guidelines are updated, much evidence will be available to address the many directions for future research that are detailed here.