Pohjanmaa transfers adult ADHD diagnosis services from specialized healthcare to primary healthcare

The Pohjanmaa welfare region is transferring part of its adult ADHD diagnosis services from specialized healthcare to primary healthcare due to lengthy wait times in adult psychiatry. This decision comes after the region received a warning from the regional administrative authority regarding these delays, which have been exacerbated by a longstanding shortage of psychiatrists that is now showing slight signs of improvement.

Project manager Anu Hiironniemi emphasized the need to enhance accessibility to care and highlighted efforts to improve the treatment chain over the years. The chief psychiatrist at Turku’s psychiatric prison, Jukka Voutilainen, expressed caution about moving these services to primary care, arguing that without additional resources—specifically psychiatrists—proper ADHD assessments may not be feasible. He warned of the risk of either over- or under-diagnosing ADHD, which he described as the most sought-after diagnosis in the country, partly due to the availability of stimulant medication.

In May, twelve psychiatrists and professors called for national guidelines for adult ADHD diagnosis, stressing that current cognitive pressures can lead to symptoms being misdiagnosed as ADHD, especially when there is a lack of diagnostic expertise in healthcare.

Pohjanmaa plans to implement a new treatment pathway in one of its areas for individuals over 16 facing attention and concentration challenges. This model aims to streamline access to services and reduce the burden on specialized healthcare while ensuring that complex cases with additional mental health conditions are referred back to specialized care. The welfare region is also focused on developing a uniform treatment path and flexible consultation model for professionals in the upcoming year.