Developing the First Data-Informed Adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Service in Qatar

TL;DR

This study in Qatar identifies the need for adult ADHD services and provides data to support the development of a new specialist clinic.

Contribution

The first data-informed adult ADHD service in Qatar, based on a retrospective patient record review.

Findings

261 patients were diagnosed with adult ADHD, with most cases having unspecified ADHD types.

Over 60% of patients had at least one comorbid condition.

The new specialist clinic was fully booked for new cases despite being newly established.

Abstract

Background and objective

The need for developing services to cater to adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was identified following a data review, which revealed a lack of specialized services at Mental Health Services (MHS), the main provider of mental health services in Qatar. This study aimed to gather pertinent data to inform the development of efficient, comprehensive, and reactive care pathways for adult ADHD patient groups in the context of the establishment of the new specialist adult ADHD clinic.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of electronic patient records of all patients with adult ADHD. Demographic, sociodemographic, and clinical characteristics of adults diagnosed with ADHD and seen between March 2022 and March 2023 were collected. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics, version 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).

Results

During the study period, 261 patients were diagnosed (or "diagnosis upheld") with adult ADHD in the specialist clinic and across MHS. The majority (n=141, 54.0%) had ADHD with the type not specified. Most diagnoses were made by psychiatrists (n=165, 63.2%). The endpoint of care data and sources of referrals varied. About 161 (61.7%) were observed to have at least one comorbid condition. Despite being a brand-new initiative, the specialist clinic was fully booked for new cases.

Conclusions

This study is the first of its kind in Qatar examining a cohort of individuals with established adult ADHD diagnoses. It sets out the demographic and clinical data by comparing it to international findings and makes an effective case for a rigorously conducted population-based prevalence study that will inform service pathway development locally and more widely.