Publications (Last Updated On: ) Without Boundaries Challenges and Hopes for Living with ADHD: An International Survey WFMH is committed to raising awareness and understanding of emotional and behavioural disorders that affect young people. In light of this, and in partnership with Dr Russ Barkley, Professor of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, USA, and Eli Lilly and Company, we have spearheaded an international survey of parents of children with ADHD. The key findings were launched at a media event during the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) 16th World Congress in Berlin on August 24, 2004. The Without Boundaries survey was conducted in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain, UK and USA. The aim of the survey is to highlight the experiences of people affected by ADHD (the individual and their family members) in different countries, and to make country comparisons about the management of this disorder across the world. Survey Findings Surveying families of children with ADHD has helped form a clearer picture of the unmet needs of people with ADHD and their families. Parents are worried about the effect that ADHD will have on their child’s social and academic development. Of major concern is the issue of access to a physician and the time taken to receive a diagnosis the average time for all countries surveyed was over 2 years (and over 3 years in Italy), which is a long time in the development of a child. Almost all parents surveyed (91%) report that they often feel stressed or worried by their child’s ADHD 63% say that family activities are disturbed by their child’s behaviour More than half (53%) of parents state that their child has been excluded from social activities 86% express concern that ADHD will threaten their child’s academic success Once ADHD has been diagnosed correctly, it is essential that the child is able to receive effective treatment to manage the disorder. This can include a combination of behavioural or psychological approaches and medication. Parents reported that they find treatment: Improves concentration at school (86%) Helps their child to interact socially (76%) Relieves pressure on the family (81%) Data by Country A summary of key findings has been prepared for each of the countries surveyed* , as well as an international overview. To view, please click on the relevant link below: Australia [pdf: 48k] Germany [pdf: 48k] Italy [pdf: 48k] Mexico [pdf: 48k] The Netherlands [pdf: 48k] Spain [pdf: 48k] UK [pdf: 48k] USA [pdf: 48k] International Overview [pdf: 48k] Documents are in a PDF format and you will need Adobe Acrobat in order to view them. A free download is available here. To view this survey in Spanish – please visit the website of the Asociacion Mexicana por el Deficit de Atencion, Hiperactividad y Trastornos Asociados, AC – www.deficitdeatencion.org/investigaciones.htm PowerPoint Presentations for Without Boundaries: English version Spanish version German version Russian version Media Resources To access the media release and supporting materials, please view the PDF documents below: Media Release [pfd: 48k ] Verbatims from Survey Participants [pdf: 55k ] ADHD Backgrounder [pdf: 46k ] ADHD Media Reporting Guidelines Advocacy Organisations WFMH would like to acknowledge and thank the support of the following advocacy groups who assisted in the survey recruitment: Australia ADD Association, Queensland (ADDAQ) http://www.addaq.org.au Learning and Attentional Disorders Society (LADS) http://www.ladswa.com.au Learning Difficulties Coalition NSW http://www.learningdifficultiescoalition.org.au Germany Juvemus http://www.juvemus.de Italy AIFA http://www.aifa.it Mexico AMDAH http://www.deficitdeatencion.org The Netherlands Balans http://www.balansdigitaal.nl Spain ADANA Fundacion http://www.f-adana.org ANSHDA http://www.anshda.org APNADAH http://www.tda-h.com/APNADAH.html UK ADDISS http://www.addiss.co.uk USA CHADD http://www.chadd.org