Table 1.
Characteristics of reviewed studies
| Reference | Country | Study methodology (all cross‐sectional) | Population (N) | Age in years (M [SD], range) | Relevant findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ho et al. (2011) | Hong Kong | Interview a |
Caregivers (12) 83.3% Female |
38.5 (NR), 35–46 | Need for financial assistance and more affordable services |
| Coletti et al. (2012) | USA | Focus groups a |
Caregivers (27) 78% Female |
45.3 (11.2), NR | Need for psychiatrists to consider therapies besides medication; balanced information that is comprehensive and comprehensible |
| McIntyre and Hennessy (2012) | Ireland | Interview a |
Caregivers (18) 89% Female |
NR | Need for more behavioural therapy and practical advice; better access to services; alternatives to medication; improved societal attitude |
| Swift et al. (2013) | United Kingdom |
Interview a |
YP (10) 80% Male |
17.9 (NR), 17–18 | Need for access to care provision regardless of ADHD severity; consistency of clinicians during service transition |
| Walker‐Noack et al. (2013) | Canada | Focus groups a |
YP (25) 60% Male |
14.3 (2.7), 10–21 | Need for school accommodations; for teachers and the public to obtain accurate information about ADHD |
| Ahmed et al. (2014) | Australia | Focus groups a |
Caregivers (16) 53.6% Male |
43 (median), 32–55 |
Poor quality of ADHD information from healthcare providers; need for concise, tailored, unbiased written information and support tools |
| Cheung et al. (2015) | Hong Kong | Interview a |
Adults (40) 67.5% Male |
17.2 (NR), 16–23 |
Need for services to meet psychological needs; better public understanding of ADHD; education for consumers, caregivers and teachers; non‐pharmacological treatment options for adults; more support from teachers in classroom |
| Reale et al. (2015) | Italy | Survey a |
Caregivers (24) Sex NR |
NR | Challenges accessing information about services; gaps in care/knowledge within services; poor service transition; need for better family and education support; affordable psychological therapy; continuity of access to pharmacological treatment |
| Schrevel et al. (2016) | Netherlands | Focus groups a |
Adults (52) 53.8% Female |
43 (NR), 23–55 | Need for greater social acceptance of ADHD and appreciation for differences |
| Sikirica et al. (2015) c | Europe, United Kingdom | Interview a |
Caregivers (38) Sex NR YP (28) 65.8% Male |
NR Children: 11.9 (3.7), 6–17 Adolescents: 15.3 (1.5), 13–17 |
Difficulties obtaining diagnosis; schools poorly informed/equipped to support students with ADHD; concerns about medication; need for more support and education in context of perceived stigma from others; need for financial assistance; need for information about pharmacological side‐effects |
| Jacobson et al. (2016) | Sweden | Focus groups a |
Caregivers, YP/Adults (7) Sex NR |
NR | Need for research into efficacy of non‐pharmacological treatment and medications |
| Simons et al. (2016) d | United Kingdom | Focus groups a |
YP (8) Sex NR Adults (11) Sex NR Caregivers (9) Sex NR |
NR, 12–13 NR, 18–54 NR, 25–54 |
Challenges with access to diagnosis, treatment and support; better support needed for medication side‐effects and symptoms; need for reassurance and information |
| Sollie and Larsson (2016) | Norway | Survey b |
Caregivers (214) Sex NR |
NR | Need for school adjustments; need for care coordination at school; tailored treatment options beyond medication |
| Fridman et al. (2017) c | Europe | Survey b |
Caregivers (3,616) 66% Female |
NR |
Difficulty obtaining child diagnosis; access to behaviour therapy; insufficient information for caregivers; more help from schools |
| Sleath et al. (2017) | USA | Survey b , interview b |
YP (70) 68.6% Male |
11.9 (2.6), 7–17 |
Young people with ADHD had many unanswered questions about ADHD and wanted more discussion and engagement with providers |
| Hossainzadeh Maleki et al. (2018) | Iran | Interview a |
Caregivers (9) 100% Male |
41.5 (NR), range NR |
Need for better information from providers; non‐pharmacological interventions; caregiver support |
| Pahlavanzadeh et al. (2018) | Iran | Interview a |
Caregivers (27) 62.9% Female |
33.3 (NR), 24–51 |
Insufficient access to information about ADHD and how to support children; need for improved financial and social support |
| Leitch et al. (2019) | Australia | Focus groups a |
Caregivers (13) 84.6% Female |
NR, 38–50 | Need for more understanding from public, professionals and teachers; caregiver support and training; support at school |
| Nasol et al. (2019) | USA | Survey b |
Caregivers (2,406) Sex NR |
Age NR | Most common unmet treatment needs were access to medication and school‐based behavioural therapy |
| Price et al. (2019) | United Kingdom | Interview a |
Caregivers (28) 93% Female YP/Adults (64) 68.8% Male |
NR NR, 14–29 |
Need for better information from healthcare providers; need for better information about ADHD persisting into adulthood |
| Vijverberg et al. (2020) | Netherlands | Survey b , interview b |
YP (105) 67.6% Male |
11.8 (3), 6–17 |
Unmet needs relating to mental health supports; need for information on diagnosis and treatment; concern for future prospects and wanting this to be addressed in treatment |
| Rezel‐Potts et al. (2021) | United Kingdom | Focus group a |
Caregivers (8) 100% Female |
NR, 25–44 | Training needed for GPs and school staff; integrated care with improved communication from professionals and between services; better access to mental healthcare; support for caregivers' emotional needs |
| Spencer et al. (2021) | USA | Interview a |
Caregivers (41) 92.7% Female |
40.8 (7.6), NR | Need for more support; better access to services; care coordination |
ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; M, mean; NR, Not reported; SD, standard deviation; YP, Young people with ADHD.
Qualitative.
Quantitative.
Study funded by pharmaceutical companies.
Study did not aim to examine consumer needs but was included because unmet needs were identified by consumers and reported on in the article.