2-3 pages excluding title page and reference page. APA format, Masters Level

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Untreated ADHD

To solve the problem of untreated ADHD, one solution would be conducting a risk -benefit analysis. Since many families struggle with whether to put their ASHD child under treatment or not, a risk-benefit analysis could greatly help such families take the bold step in putting their child under ADHD treatment. In this case, healthcare professionals engaging parents who are resistant about their child receiving ADHD treatment can, together with the parent, conduct a risk -benefit analysis to weigh the pros and cons of the treatment. When defining the risks, health professionals should focus more on the larger picture, that is, what the child is set to gain with the ADHD medication. The advantage of this solution is that since it is the healthcare professional facilitating the risk-benefit analysis, they can concentrate more on the positive sides of the ADHD medication and focus less on the negative effects of the medication, ultimately winning the support of the parent (Rief, 2015).

Through a risk -benefit analysis, the chances of persuading a parent to treat their child are high because the healthcare professional gets to emphasize on the medication benefits and how these benefits outweigh the risks associated with ADHD medication. The challenge with this solution is that it might be hard trying to help parents overcome the fears they have about placing their child under ADHD medication. Another challenge is that carrying out a risk -benefit analysis may be a time -consuming process since it requires responding to every detail and question posed to the satisfaction of the parent skeptical about putting their child with ADHD on medication. The second solution would be creating more awareness as an attempt to set the record straight (Wright et al., 2015). In this case, awareness-raising events could be organized to educate members of the society on the importance of seeking early treatment for ADHD, and empower those reluctant to seek treatment to take the initiative. Spreading awareness on ADHD is also aimed at breaking stereotypes and misconceptions linked to ADHD treatment, and to facilitate this, evidence-based information must be used. One advantage with this solution is that there are many platforms that can be used to raise public awareness on ADHD, and so chances of reaching a wider audience, particularly those reluctant to seek treatment, are high. Creating awareness also makes those unaware of ADHD to create connections between the problems in life and ADHD, prompting them to seek medical assistance to find out whether they indeed have ADHD.

The challenge of creating awareness is that it needs to be done periodically for it to be more effective. Additionally, with creating awareness, a lot of effort has to be put to ensure that the ADHD message reaches the intended audience. In regards to the risk-benefit analysis, a child or an adolescent’s chances of being placed under treatment are high, and they will eventually get experience improved social relationships with friends’ family and schoolmates. In regards to creating awareness, an adults living with the condition will be empowered to seek treatment, and this will promote benefits such as increased job performance, and the ability to sustain work and interpersonal relationships. Besides the proposed solutions, another idea would be the wider use of ADHD therapy treatment approaches to prevent the overreliance of ADHD medication. I would also propose the implementation of ADHD education programs in schools to create more awareness of the condition among school goers.

References

Rief, S. F. (2015). The ADHD book of lists: A practical guide for helping children and teens with attention deficit disorders. John Wiley & Sons.

Wright, N., Moldavsky, M., Schneider, J., Chakrabarti, I., Coates, J., Daley, D., ... & Sayal, K. (2015). Practitioner review: pathways to care for ADHD–a systematic review of barriers and facilitators. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(6), 598-617.