Barbara has been working in psychiatry for 20 years and specialised in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry for 15 years. During that time Barbara has worked across a range of settings including inpatient care in the private sector, as well as outpatient care in the private sector. 

Her practice has included the assessment of children with both Autism and ADHD, as well as supporting children and adolescents who have a range of other mental health conditions, particularly conditions that occur in children with pre-existing disabilities. 

The importance of having a range of tools has been an important part of Barbara’s practice, and she has been using medicinal cannabis and other holistic approaches, as well as patient-centred therapies, to support psychiatric and mental health recovery for young people. She continues to see children, adolescents, and some adults in her practice and is committed to the ongoing support and care of young people and their families. 

Presentation: Recognising and Responding to ADHD & Mental Health in Adolescence: Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Emerging Interventions

ADHD is a topic which for me ignites passion, as it affects increasing numbers of children, adolescents, and adults. Current figures in Australia suggest an increasing prevalence. ADHD has been shown to be the most common mental health disorder in Australian children aged 4–17 years (Lawrence et al., 2015). ADHD occurred in 8.2% of children aged 4–11 years (10.9% boys, 5.4% girls), and 6.3% in children aged 12–17 years (9.8% boys, 2.7% girls) (Lawrence et al., 2015). 

In that context, the first step—recognition of the symptoms—allows understanding and then choice about treatment and support. Recognition is achieved by diagnosis, followed by screening for other co-occurring conditions affecting the person, which are multiple and common. Hence, treatment requires understanding the multiple types of vulnerabilities that contribute to the occurrence of ADHD as well as the co-occurring conditions. 

ADHD has many types of treatments that are important options for affected individuals. This includes both conventional and non-conventional treatments: pharmaceutical choices, and non-pharmaceutical options such as medicinal cannabis, supplements, dietary influences, psychological therapies, and novel interventions such as neurofeedback. 

In this talk, I will be covering information about each of these topics to provide the audience with insights into current prevalence, diagnostic options, co-occurring conditions, and the range of treatment and interventions that may contribute to better functioning.