Hansard

I join members from across the chamber in congratulating Daniel Johnson on gaining cross-party support for his motion on the portrayal of ADHD treatment, and on his incredibly personal and compelling opening speech. Most, if not all, of us will have met someone who has ADHD. I am grateful to colleagues such as Emma Harper for sharing their experiences of that.

Those of us who think that we have not met someone with ADHD probably have done, but we just did not realise it at the time because, as with many health issues, the symptoms are not necessarily physical. In recent years, there has been a move towards treating mental health conditions differently from how physical health conditions are treated, but we must assess each and every condition individually in order to effectively help those in need.

Those who know me know that I am an avid rugby fan and a former player, and I am sure that we are all well aware of the benefits of physical exercise, no matter which sport may be of our choosing. I have found it immensely rewarding to coach a couple of players who have ADHD and to see their progress and improved participation both on and off the field. Learning how to coach people with ADHD within a wider group has been a great lesson for me. Physical exercise has been proven time and again to have a massive benefit on our mental health. I am not saying that picking up a rugby ball will treat ADHD definitively, but many studies have shown that playing a sport can help children and adults to manage their ADHD.

Although SIGN and NICE guidelines recommend multimodal treatment for ADHD, including parent training, school interventions and psychological support, in many areas medication is all that is offered, and parents who refuse medication for their children are often discharged from services.

Despite unhelpful programmes such as “Take Your Pills”, medication is a valid option that helps many people with ADHD to manage their symptoms and to lead a better life. For some, it is the additional treatments, including psychological support, that are able to help, so we must listen to those with ADHD and to organisations such as the Scottish ADHD Coalition on which treatments make a real improvement to people’s lives.

It is not just the health service, schools and individuals who can help to improve the way in which we manage ADHD treatment. The business world needs to get involved, too. As stated in an article published in The Guardian in March 2018, those with ADHD can be a huge asset to the workplace if they are supported. There were many stories on individuals’ struggles in the workplace, but research has found that by utilising the symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperfocusing, businesses can benefit from hiring people with ADHD. Every manager and employer knows that they should use the different strengths of their employees, and it is no different for those with ADHD. I was therefore pleased to read that Scottish ADHD Coalition has published a guide for employers, which I look forward to sharing across my constituency and the wider business community.

We are here today because more action is needed from the Scottish Government to bring forward plans to update NICE and SIGN guidelines. I also encourage ministers to ensure that all Government departments are working to ensure that those with ADHD can enjoy all aspects of life, with the support of those around them.