Mission

The ADHD Foundation's missions are to promote knowledge building and an all-round understanding of ADHD, to advocate for a multidisciplinary approach to the assessment and management of the condition and to raise public awareness of the importance of early intervention and management of ADHD.

Words from the founders

Over the past few years, we have been profoundly disturbed by the depth and width of the tragedies caused by untreated cases of ADHD. Not only the ADHD children and adolescents suffer from poor self-esteem, psychosomatic and social problems, substance abuse, anxiety, depression and loss of interest in learning, their parents are often affected seriously by depression, marital discord, anxiety and domestic violence. It is also not uncommon that such parents lose their jobs or may even go bankrupt because of their own mood disorders or perhaps because of an underlying undiagnosed ADHD.

While we were appalled by these tragic cases, it has also been gratifying to see how families turn around after the identification and management of the cause – ADHD. These tragedies could have been prevented in the first place had their conditions been identified and managed earlier.

A stunning observation is that most of our ADHD patients, children or adults, are intelligent, creative, sensitive and even talented. They are normal people, just like you and me. Misunderstanding and fear, stemming from lack of information about the condition, has been a huge obstacle for those needing it to seek help.

In recent years, the rapid growth of scientific studies has significantly advanced our understanding of the pathophysiology and psycho pharmacology of ADHD. We, the members of the Foundation, feel that the time has come and we should take up our social obligation to disseminate the knowledge. It is important that we demystify the condition, put aside the long-standing co-segregation among professionals, collaborate as a task force and work hand in hand with those who suffer to move on and to attain the kind of quality of life that they deserve.

The need for an ADHD foundation

ADHD, a condition that is not uncommon, has been frequently misinterpreted and mishandled. The problem is not with ADHD itself, but also with people’s lack of knowledge of the condition.

It would make a big difference if ADHD were identified and managed earlyso that the sufferer can optimize his or her life. If the condition is not diagnosed or managed, the ripple effect of the untreated condition is likely to be pervasive, profoundly affecting the sufferer’s personal growth, social maturity, academic and career performance. Such pervasive effects include low self-esteem, underachievement, mood disorders, addictive and/or disruptive behaviors, oppositional defiant disorder, substance abuse, conduct disorder and mismanagement of relationships or of finance. The untreated cases can significantly affect the well being of parents, siblings, peers in the forms of parental conflict, divorce and loss of job, etc.

The ripple effect of ADHD cases can also be extended to the society by substantial increase in the occupational costs such as frequent change of jobs, missing work days; and in the economic burdens on the healthcare system because of increased coexisting conditions such as depression, anxiety, alcohol use, etc.

However, if sufferers of ADHD are identified and managed earlier, they can then unleash their creativity and productivity and optimize their potentials to lead more fulfilling lives.

Since 2002, prior to the formation of this organization, some of us have been invited to present talks on ADHD, in a number of seminars organized by various groups such as the Hong Kong Mood Disorder Center, Hong Kong College of Pediatricians, Hong Kong Paediatric Society, Macau Medical Association, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital and Licentiate Medical Certification of Hong Kong (LMCHK).

During those encounters, we found that primary care physicians had a low awareness of ADHD and there was a huge gap between the increasing demand for their services from the community and their lack of readiness to provide proficient assessment and management of ADHD. This triggered the idea of the need to form a professional body dedicated to educating the public and to advancing professional knowledge in this much neglected area of the health care profession.

Stemming from their deep understanding of the huge differences between the treated and untreated ADHD sufferers, a group of dedicated professionals from various fields decided to pool their professional skills to form the ADHD Foundation, which was formally registered as a corporation in Hong Kong and is now in the process of applying for the status of a charitable institution.