The future of ADHD in Europe with Prof. Dr Tobias Banaschewski

Prof. Dr Tobias Banaschewski & Mrs. Carola Stivala, M.A.
interviewed by Mr. Hans van de Velde L.LM., discussion on the future of ADHD in Europe
- What has positively changed in Europe regarding ADHD during the last decades?
- What can we, the members of all associations do to improve the situation?
- What can psychiatrists (and their associations) do to improve the situation?
How about stigma? Waiting lists for children and adults? Lack of clinics for adults and families? Lack of specialists for diagnosis and treatment?
‘New’ generic medications introduced and medication shortages?
Prof. Tobias Banaschewski, MD, PhD is professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Medical Faculty Mannheim of the University of Heidelberg; Medical Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH); Deputy Director of the CIMH in Mannheim, Germany. Tobias Banaschewski studied psychology and medicine at the University of Marburg in Germany. Amongst others he is Chair of the European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders; Member of the Directory Board of the German ADHD network; European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Last but not least: member of the Advisory Board of ADHD Europe. In his research areas (psychopathology, neuropsychology, neurophysiology, and psychopharmacology of ADHD and comorbid disorders) he wrote hundreds of articles.

[@hanskraut2018]

prove the advantagues of adhd or dont repeat that talking point. What is the advantague of cancer?

[@BroadcastingADHDEurope]

That's exactly the point. Cancer is a desease, an illness. ADHD is a property of the brain that in one situation can be a huge burden and in another a quality. We are already working on investigation of the (societal) advantages of ADHD, together with scientists. So thank you for your supportive words.

[@hanskraut2018]

@@BroadcastingADHDEurope Awesome i am happy you are testing this hypothesis with “advantages” and i hope u have an open mind for both possibility’s there being and not being advantages. I think both conclusions would benefit the field and should be valued as a important contribution, because if it where *not* the case then many funds flow into a dark hole and funding may be harder since adhd (different severity’s) will possibly be excused as a advantague.

[@Dodomba]

@@hanskraut2018 its the same with autism

[@aboomination897]

Well, ADHD is an expression of a certain neurotype. It's not a super power, but some ADHDers manage(d) to make their individual traits, including ADHD related ones, work for them instead against them. Of course that's highly individual and doesn't only come down to the person itself but their support network/upbringing etc. A valid question would be: How do we accommodate ADHDers in a way to give them the best possible chance to become successful, not suicidal? But first they need to become aware, not ashamed - and at an early enough age to make a decisive difference - before the ADHD tax piles up.

[@hanskraut2018]

How about have better medication tiltration (or any at all, and quality controll) instead of talking about "we should not put people in a box" those statemnts are 100 years old and useless and made by anti psychatry people all the time

[@ninaromm5491]

@ Hans Kraut . I would wholeheartedly agree that the issue of medication is paramount. Because there is so little info on ADHD itself in the medical confraternity, there is definitely no subtlety in medication usage. Have you looked at the work of Dr. William Dodson? (find at ADDitude). For the record, I am constantly saying that psychiatry and psychology and the medical confraternity in general, are 50 years behind. It is interesting that the new generation, having smartphones, KZbin, Tiktok, are changing the landscape by exchanging information. Best wishes from South Africa

[@Azzy_Mazzy]

Yes access to the medication is near impossible and has many hurdles. In my country (not EU) for example we have cities with 500K+ populations and ZERO pharmacies or clinics that have the medication, you have travel 1000km to get to a place that does have it, even then its only concerta and if that doesn’t work for you then bad luck.

[@Azzy_Mazzy]

@@ninaromm5491 are the medications available in South Africa?