Delayed ADHD diagnoses can lead to substance misuse

Long waits for ADHD assessments in the Faroe Islands may have serious consequences, including substance misuse, Bjørg Dam, chair of the ADHD Association, warned, according to KVF.

A response to a Section 52 question in September showed that 811 adults are waiting for an ADHD assessment, with a wait of 36 months. In child and adolescent psychiatry, 292 children and young people are waiting, with a two-year wait.

Dam said there is a clear link between not being diagnosed with ADHD and substance misuse. Without the necessary help, some people try to self-medicate with drugs, she said.

She described the situation as serious and said waiting times must be reduced so people can receive assessment and treatment sooner.