Just over half of adults in drug treatment services in Ireland were found to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new survey shows.
The research, presented yesterday to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Drugs Use, involved 288 drug service users. It found that 51 per cent had ADHD, while 37 per cent were on the autism spectrum (ASD).
Overall, ADHD affects an estimated 21 per cent of adults. Among women using benzodiazepines, the rate rises to 40 per cent. For alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis users, ADHD was more prevalent among men, but among opiate users, women were more affected.
The study was conducted by Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in partnership with the drugs crisis campaign group Citywide. It was led by Prof Catherine Comiskey, TCD Chair in Healthcare Modelling, Global Addiction and Transformation.
Presenting her findings to the committee, Prof Comiskey said most drug treatment service providers lacked formal training in neurodiversity.
“Communicating with and managing people with neurodiverse conditions is a major challenge, especially for those with ASD,” she said. “For some service users, it can take years to find an effective, individualized treatment programme.”
TCD Assistant Professor of Mental Health Nursing Philip James described the barriers to mental healthcare for people with substance use disorders as “torture by bureaucracy.”
“Accessing mental health services is often extremely difficult for people with substance use disorders,” he told the committee. “The latest mental health strategy, ‘Sharing the Vision’, had to reverse some recommendations from the previous policy, ‘Vision for Change’, because they excluded people with substance use disorders from care.”
Ken Kilbride, CEO of ADHD Ireland, called for urgent improvements to services. The organisation estimates that undiagnosed ADHD among people with substance use disorders costs Ireland around €2 billion annually.
“ADHD is a lifelong neurodivergence,” he said. “With 160,000 to 170,000 adults in Ireland affected, most undiagnosed, and half of all new HSE mental health referrals for ADHD, our public services are overwhelmed. This has serious human and financial consequences.”
A recent CSO Healthy Ireland survey found nine per cent of adults believe they have ADHD. Yet HSE services struggle to meet demand, with 1,646 people waiting for assessments and delays of up to two-and-a-half years in some areas.
Dr Sonia Morris, Board Director of ADHD Ireland, warned that lack of support leads many people to self-medicate with alcohol or cannabis.
“We need a ‘neuroaffirmative’ approach across schools, workplaces, healthcare, and communities to reduce stigma and provide proper accommodations,” she said. “A whole-of-government strategy is urgently needed, starting with adequate funding and staffing for HSE and CAMHS services focused on ADHD care.”
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