Northern Ireland

Cross-border project for families affected by ADHD reports life-changing benefits

A three-year cross border project has provided support to families and carers affected by ADHD
A three-year cross border project has provided support to families and carers affected by ADHD A three-year cross border project has provided support to families and carers affected by ADHD

A cross-border project involving almost 2,000 families affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has reported life-changing benefits and reduced use of prescription medication.

Funded through an EU programme, the Changing Lives Initiative has been delivered in Northern Ireland, the Republic and the Argyll and Bute region in Scotland over a three-year period.

Waiting lists for ADHD diagnosis in children have soared in the north, with some families facing delays of up to four years following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The behavioural condition is normally diagnosed between the ages of six and 12. It causes inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity leaving many families and carers often struggling to cope.

Aileen O’Donoghue, who chairs a steering group overseeing the project, said those who took part reported a

a significant reduction in ADHD-related behaviour as well as other emotional and conduct problems.

She added it also proved to be a highly effective early intervention as well as the least invasive - with a dramatic drop in the use of prescription drugs for children.

"The programme has succeeded in significantly improving parental skills and reducing parental stress," she said.

"Typically children with ADHD are treated with prescription drugs. Yet these drugs provide only short-term relief of the symptoms.

"The cost for ADHD medications in Northern Ireland alone for the 12-month period March 2019 - February 2020 was £3,462,711. The aggregate costs of ADHD in the UK have been estimated at around £102,135 per case.1 In Ireland over 90,000 prescriptions for ADHD medications were issued in 2019 at a cost of €5,143,915.2 In contrast, the cost of providing The Changing Lives Initiative programme per family is as little as €1,155."

The initiative received €2.7m from the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Match-funding was provided by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland and its counterpart in the Republic as well as the five project partners.