Who manages the care of students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in higher education?

OBJECTIVE: To identify who provides medical support to students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) while in higher education. METHODS: A questionnaire pack was sent to 50 undergraduate student health centres attached to higher education colleges/universities. RESULTS: Eighty-two per cent of practices returned questionnaires. Forty-nine per cent had undergraduate students with ADHD, of those 76% were on methylphenidate. Fifty-two per cent saw only their general practitioner (GP) for follow up and the rest were jointly managed by GP with: psychiatrists, paediatricians, psychologists or physicians. Eighty-seven per cent of GPs had not attended recent courses or training on ADHD. CONCLUSION: Those caring for undergraduate students with ADHD are still largely unfamiliar with the condition. Guidelines need to be drawn up to establish handover from paediatric to adult care.