LONDON, June 11, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- A campaign to help people understand more about ADHD and where to go for help has been launched by Janssen-Cilag Ltd this week. Confusion and misunderstanding about the condition has prompted the development of a new animation to bring to life the perspective of a child with ADHD and the challenges that they and their parents face on a daily basis. The film will be accompanied by an educational website, Living with ADHD ( http://www.livingwithadhd.co.uk) which offers a go to place for parents where they can get information, support and advice for the issues which they may face. It is hoped that arming parents with credible information from leading healthcare professionals about ADHD will help put their minds at rest and assist the consultation process with their doctor.

Research(1) has shown that once parents make that initial step of going to see their healthcare professional, they feel a high level of satisfaction. There could be a number of reasons for this including, relief over finally getting an ADHD diagnosis for their child or it may be attributed to a level of reassurance they feel once they speak to their healthcare professional. The same research illustrated that over 50% of healthcare professionals do currently provide their patients with information about ADHD and feedback from clinicians in the field is that healthcare professionals do welcome good sources of information that they can share with patients.

Dr Graeme Lamb, NHS Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, based at the Newham Child Family Consultation Service said, Parents often do not know where to go to get information about ADHD and what to do to get help. I am in favour of anything that provides parents with clear and credible information about ADHD. If they come to a consultation with their healthcare professional armed with knowledge about the condition and potential management strategies we can take the discussion on from there. This visual way of sharing information about ADHD is very creative and will help to educate people about ADHD in an engaging manner. I would happily recommend it to any parents I see.

The film and educational website can be located at http://www.livingwithadhd.co.uk and parents can forward it on to friends and colleagues who they feel might benefit. The film uses a creative technique called 'rotoscoping', where real actors are filmed and then converted into hyper-real animations. It was developed following interviews with a range of patients, parents, doctors and teachers, and is shot through the eyes of a child with the condition, showing some of the issues they can face at home and at school.

Holly Evans, ADHD Educational Advisor commented that, Knowledge is an amazing thing and I find that parents feel immeasurably better about their child's ADHD if they know the facts about the condition. We know that teachers play a pivotal role in helping to identify and discuss ADHD with parents, however more work needs to be done to support them in what can be an extremely challenging role.

A targeted education campaign is being instigated on a separate level with teachers to ensure that they are informed about ADHD, and how to support it in schools. Holly Evans went on to say that, It might be that certain teachers currently have children with ADHD in their classrooms but that they haven't yet realised it or are struggling to cope. If improved understanding and knowledge about ADHD can filter down to at least a small proportion of the teaching population, it will make a big impact.

What is ADHD?

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a medical condition classically affecting children and adolescents that is defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). It is now thought that ADHD may also affect adults, and this is an evolving area of research in psychiatry.

ADHD is characterised by three core symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Inattention can include an inability to focus and pay attention, a pattern of careless mistakes, difficulty listening or finishing tasks and easy distractibility. Hyperactivity may be manifested through fidgeting, talking excessively, and a tendency to run around at inappropriate times and interrupt others. Impulsivity may be exhibited as an inability to curb immediate reactions, often causing children to blurt out inappropriate comments or to run into the street without looking.

About Janssen-Cilag Ltd

Janssen-Cilag has a long track record in developing treatments for central nervous system disorders, pain management, oncology, fungal infections, gastrointestinal conditions, ADHD, anaemia, epilepsy, migraine prevention, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and progressive multiple myeloma.

More information can be found at http://www.janssen-cilag.co.uk

References

(1). Childhood and Adolescent Service Provision Research, Synergy Healthcare Research 2009

SOURCE: Janssen-Cilag Ltd

CONTACT: For further information contact: Helen Swift, Tonic LifeCommunications, Tel: +44(0)207-798-9924, email: helen.swift@toniclc.com;Sarah Stanmore, Tonic Life Communications, Tel: +44(0)207-798-9906, email:sarah.stanmore@toniclc.com