ADHD Family Support Group: A Hospital-based Model in Taiwan

Attention deficient hyperactive disorder
(ADHD) is one of the most common childhood
psychiatric disorders worldwide. In Taiwan, its
prevalence is estimated at between 7.5% and
9.9%, however, according to analysis of the
National Health Insurance dataset, as few as 20%
seek medical help for the condition. This action
research project consisted of forming a hospital-based
ADHD family support group and evaluating how
well it functioned. First, the formation of a
hospital-based family support group in central
Taiwan was announced by newspaper, following a
news report on 21 August 2008 of a local teacher
tying a hyperactive child to a chair. After attending
lectures or receiving services at this hospital, some
parents and teachers asked to participate in the
ADHD support group. A family support group was
organized in 2011 and the research team helped
apply for public education funding from
pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lily and
Janssen. In January 2013, to evaluate the group’s
functioning and the program results, we identified
core leaders in the group and started interviewing
them using an oral history approach. One child
psychiatrist, eight family members, and two
patients were selected for interviews. This family
support group has demonstrated high motivation
and efficiency in addressing its members’ concerns,
as well as convincing therapeutic benefits. There
is a need for pragmatic solutions that cannot be satisfied by purely scientific or therapeutic public
discourse. For this reason, the family support group
needed autonomy to respond to their own needs
and to develop a new sense of identity.