The Australian Senate has formally backed a proposal from Australian Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John to hold a Senate inquiry into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and support services in Australia.
Senator Jordon Steele-John proposed the inquiry in the hope of addressing common barriers to adequate ADHD assessment and care, as well as establishing possible policy interventions to improve accessibility and outcomes in this space.
Around a million Australians are directly impacted by ADHD, a widely misunderstood neurodevelopmental disability that can cause significant impairment and dysfunction in people’s lives.
Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson on Disability Services, Health and Mental Health said:
”Last year more than 10,000 ADHD community members answered my call to share their experiences with the healthcare system.
“The results are confronting to say the least, identifying significant access barriers to ADHD assessment and support services in Australia.
“In particular, a large proportion of respondents shared issues with cost, wait time and stigma from their healthcare providers.
“The serious long-term impacts of ADHD are well-established, yet we have not seen a single substantive conversation about the condition in Parliament over the past five years.
“We must urgently address the gap between what the ADHD community needs and what it’s actually receiving.
“I am thrilled that the parliament has agreed on the need for this inquiry. On behalf of the one million Australians being left behind every single day, I hope this inquiry will create recommendations and urgent action to improve outcomes for people with ADHD.”