& Family Support Centre
Research
A considerable amount of international as well as an increasing amount of research in New Zealand has been undertaken.
As an example, there is a considerable resource of Australian research material on the Sydney Developmental Clinic website: www.sydneydevelopmentalclinic.com.au
The ADD Assessment and Family Support Centre specialists, trustees and associates are involved in a range of research initiatives aimed at developing a better knowledge base relevant to New Zealand needs.
This includes recent research work undertaken Dr Leo Buchanan, the ADD Centre's Consultant Paediatrician, on a quality assurance look at the use with New Zealand patients of the relatively recently available medication Atomoxetine to treat ADD/ADHD, which was first released for general use in the USA in 2003.
A paper titled "Our Antisocial Disruptive Kids" given a Public Nurses Conference last year by Registered General and Obstetric Nurses Joy Fairburn and Shennan Brown outlined some of the current research findings for New Zealand including that:
- There is an under-identification of ADD/ADHD in the adult community.
- There is a growing concern that adults with ADD/ADHD are amongst those that end up in prison.
- The co-morbidity of ADD/ADHD and other learning disorders often sets up a pattern of failure repeated at many stages of their life where it has been demonstrated that a combination of medication and behavioural therapy can provide dramatic changes for those who have struggled with ADD/ADHD issues for years.
- It has been found that young people on treatment have only half the risk for substance abuse compared with those who received no treatment.
- In NZ stimulant medication is not even given to prisoners.
- However, if the non-stimulant medication Atomoxetine was subsidised by Pharmac it may make a difference.
Phone: 04 383 5061 |
Fax: 04 383 5063 | Email: addtrust@xtra.co.nz |