Cost of ADHD diagnosis is a professional scandal
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is at the top of the controversy list for psychiatrists, to judge by recent consumer agitation and media interest.
Recent news coverage has quite rightly challenged the enormous costs of seeking access to a psychiatrist to confirm a diagnosis that has been made presumptively after completing a checklist or watching TikTok videos using the hashtag #ADHD. A recent BBC article states that there have been over 20 billion views of TikTok videos using the hashtag – videos that creators believe have helped to “spread awareness and normalise the condition”.
In Australia, there has uproar at the cost of an appointment with a psychiatrist to obtain treatment for ADHD. In Australia, only psychiatrists and paediatricians – not GPs – hold the key to confirming a diagnosis of ADHD and providing the access to the medications used to treat this disorder. These medications, which have not changed very much over the years, are molecules that resemble amphetamines and exploit the dopamine system in the CNS, producing a paradoxical effect of slowing down the racing thoughts of somebody who has ADHD, rather than inducing a hyperactive state.