What to expect in a private ADHD diagnosis – and how it helps
1st October 2024 / Written by Harbor London
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is, increasingly, recognised and treated in the UK, with an estimated 2.6 million people in the UK affected (694,000 children, 1.9 million adults)1.
However, for many, getting an accurate diagnosis can be a prolonged and frustrating journey. In the public health system, individuals often face long waiting times, limited access to specialists, and the risk of missed diagnoses due to overburdened services2. ADHD, particularly in adults, is frequently misinterpreted or overlooked3 – its symptoms, such as inattention, impulsivity, and restlessness, can be often mistaken for anxiety or depression.
But a private ADHD diagnosis offers a significantly more efficient and comprehensive pathway, allowing for quicker access to tailored, specialist-led assessments. Here, we’ll explore the process, the steps involved, and how personalised care can provide a clearer understanding of the condition – with the discretion and expertise needed for effective long-term management.
If you think a client or someone you know may be dealing with the effects of undiagnosed ADHD, reach out and make a referral today.
What does ADHD look like in adults?
ADHD in adults often presents differently than in children4, making it harder to recognise. While hyperactivity is more pronounced in childhood, adults may exhibit subtler symptoms5 that impact daily functioning and emotional wellbeing.
These include:
- Inattention: difficulty focusing on tasks, easily distracted, and frequently losing items. This can lead to poor time management, missed deadlines, and incomplete projects5.
- Impulsivity: acting without thinking, making hasty decisions, or interrupting others in conversation. This can affect relationships, career progression, and overall self-esteem.
- Restlessness: while adults may not exhibit the same overt hyperactivity seen in children, they often feel an internal sense of restlessness5 or struggle to sit still for extended periods.
- Emotional dysregulation: many adults with ADHD experience intense emotions, such as frustration, anger, or mood swings, which can seem disproportionate to the situation.6
- Forgetfulness: frequently forgetting appointments, commitments, or simple tasks like paying bills can cause considerable stress7 and contribute to feelings of inadequacy or guilt.
Without intervention, these symptoms interfere with daily life, leading to difficulties in maintaining relationships, achieving career goals, and managing mental health.
The process of private ADHD diagnosis: What to expect
A private ADHD diagnosis offers a thorough, discreet, and often quicker route8 to understanding the condition. Unlike in the public healthcare system, where long waiting times and limited resources9 can hinder timely diagnoses, private centres offer a more personalised and comprehensive approach.
Here’s what individuals can expect during the process:
1. Initial Consultation
The process typically begins with a detailed consultation with a consultant psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, or specialised ADHD clinician. This session is designed to explore the patient’s personal history, symptoms, and any challenges they may face in education, work, and relationships.
2. Questionnaires and Self-Assessments
Individuals are often asked to complete ADHD-specific questionnaires that assess both present and past symptoms. These may also include evaluations of co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which can overlap with ADHD symptoms10.
3. Structured Clinical Interview
A more formal diagnostic interview will follow. During this stage, the clinician may use the DSM-511 or ICD-1012 criteria to systematically assess attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. They will also explore the patient’s developmental history to identify patterns of ADHD-related behaviour since childhood.
4. Psychiatric and Cognitive Assessments
In some cases, cognitive assessments may be performed to rule out other neurological or psychiatric conditions that may present similarly to ADHD. This could include memory tests, executive functioning evaluations, or emotional wellbeing assessments.
5. Feedback and Diagnosis
Once the assessments are complete, the clinician will provide feedback, offering a diagnosis if appropriate. They will also discuss the severity of symptoms and how they may be affecting daily life, work, and relationships, with a view to crafting an individually-curated treatment plan.
6. Treatment Planning
If diagnosed, the next step is to create a personalised treatment plan, which may include medication (such as stimulants13), cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), or lifestyle changes. Many private institutions also offer titration services, closely monitoring how patients respond to medications to ensure optimal results.
Who can diagnose ADHD?
Regardless of the healthcare provider, it’s crucial that the clinician conducting the diagnosis has a thorough understanding of ADHD, its presentation in both children and adults, and any co-occurring conditions such as anxiety or depression14.
In private healthcare settings, patients may have access to multi-disciplinary teams that offer a more whole-person and individualised approach to diagnosis and treatment than those available via the NHS.
- Psychiatrists: consultant psychiatrists, particularly those with expertise in neurodevelopmental disorders, are among the primary professionals qualified to diagnose ADHD. They have the medical training required to evaluate both the psychological and biological factors of the condition, prescribe medications, and develop a comprehensive treatment plan.
- Clinical psychologists: clinical psychologists, especially those specialising in ADHD or neurodevelopmental conditions, can conduct assessments and deliver a diagnosis. They focus on understanding the cognitive and emotional components of the disorder, using various diagnostic tools to assess symptoms and their impact on daily life.
- Specialist ADHD clinicians: many private clinics employ ADHD-specific clinicians, who may be nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, or psychologists with advanced training in ADHD diagnosis and treatment. These professionals often lead assessments in private clinics, collaborating with psychiatrists to develop a treatment plan.
- GPs (General Practitioners): while GPs can identify signs of ADHD and provide referrals for further evaluation, they are typically not qualified to deliver a formal diagnosis. However, in some cases, GPs may be involved in ongoing care or medication management15, particularly after a diagnosis is confirmed by a specialist.
- Paediatricians and child psychiatrists: for childhood ADHD, paediatricians or child psychiatrists often diagnose the condition. These professionals have specific training in developmental disorders and can assess how ADHD manifests in children and adolescents, ensuring the diagnosis is age-appropriate. Please note that at Harbor London, we only offer treatment to individuals aged 17 or above. See our young adult mental health services to find out more.
Why – and how – private diagnosis is superior
For those who need timely, expert-led, and individualised care, the private pathway for ADHD diagnosis offers a clear and beneficial route to long-term management and wellbeing.
Opting for a private ADHD diagnosis offers several key advantages over the public healthcare system:
Public vs private ADHD diagnosis |
|
Shorter wait times | One of the primary benefits of private ADHD diagnosis is the reduced wait time. In the public health system, individuals often face lengthy delays – sometimes over a year16 – before receiving an evaluation. A private diagnosis, by contrast, offers appointments within days, allowing individuals to access support and treatment much sooner. |
Individual attention | Private clinics prioritise a personalised, whole-person approach to diagnosis and treatment. Instead of a one-size-fits-all model, private practitioners offer tailored assessments, taking into account the patient’s unique experiences, symptoms, and background. This enables a more accurate diagnosis and effective treatment planning. |
Access to specialists | Private ADHD diagnosis often grants access to leading specialists in neurodevelopmental disorders, including consultant psychiatrists and psychologists with deep expertise in adult ADHD. These professionals deploy the latest diagnostic tools and research to ensure a thorough evaluation, particularly for complex cases where symptoms may overlap with other conditions such as anxiety or depression. |
Comprehensive diagnostics | The private diagnosis process is typically more comprehensive17, involving multiple stages such as structured interviews, detailed questionnaires, and feedback from loved ones or colleagues. Although this has led to some reservations from public quarters18, this multi-faceted approach undoubtedly ensures a more robust understanding of how ADHD affects an individual’s daily life, resulting in a more accurate diagnosis. |
Discretion and privacy | Many individuals seeking a private ADHD diagnosis rely on the confidentiality and privacy offered by private clinics. For those who may prefer to keep their condition discreet – whether for personal, professional, or social reasons – private settings offer a safe and supportive haven to explore their concerns without the stigma that can sometimes be associated with mental health assessments19. |
Curated treatment | Once a diagnosis is made, private clinics offer curated treatment plans tailored to the individual. These plans often include not just medication management, but also cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), coaching, and lifestyle adjustments, such as nutrition counselling or exercise programmes. The treatment is designed for the whole person, made to address co-existing conditions like anxiety, depression, or sleep disturbances, ensuring more comprehensive care. |
Long-term treatment for ADHD
Effective long-term treatment for ADHD involves a multifaceted approach, combining medical interventions with behavioural therapies and lifestyle modifications. The goal is not only to manage symptoms but also to improve overall quality of life.
For many individuals, stimulant medications such as methylphenidate and amphetamines remain the first line of treatment. These medications help improve focus, impulse control, and attention by increasing the levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain20.
However, medication alone is often insufficient for achieving optimal long-term results. Behavioural therapies play a crucial role in managing ADHD long term. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), for example, helps individuals develop coping strategies to manage distractions, improve time management, and reduce procrastination.21
→ Harbor London offers CBT as part of its bespoke treatment packages, providing clients with the psychological tools needed to tackle ADHD’s daily challenges – contact us now to learn more.
ADHD at Harbor London
Another critical aspect of long-term treatment is the support of a multidisciplinary team. At Harbor London, consultant psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nutritional specialists and ADHD experts collaborate to ensure every individual receives an integrated, customised treatment plan.
This team-based care guarantees that the whole person is supported, not just in the short term, but throughout their journey – helping them adapt to life transitions and evolving needs over time.
What sets Harbor London apart is the focus on ongoing, wraparound, confidential care.
We understand that ADHD is a lifelong condition that requires continuous adaptation, whether through medication adjustments, behavioural interventions, or lifestyle changes.22 That’s why our team emphasises regular follow-ups and assessments: to ensure treatment remains effective and aligned with the individual’s goals.
For professionals seeking long-term ADHD management on behalf of a client or patient, we’re here to help. Make a referral now to begin the journey.
References
- https://adhduk.co.uk/about-adhd/
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c720r1pxrx5o#:~:text=The%20government%20said%20delays%20to,closed%20their%20waiting%20lists%20completely.
- https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/misdiagnosed-adhd-in-adults/
- https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/adults-with-adhd-present-symptoms-differently-than-children-requiring-unique-assessment
- https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd-what-you-need-to-know#:~:text=However%2C%20adults%20must%20have%20shown,inattention%20or%20hyperactivity%20and%20impulsivity.
- https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/adhd-emotions-understanding-intense-feelings/
- https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adult-adhd-memory-loss
- https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/jul/significant-rise-adhd-diagnoses-uk
- https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/health-news/nhs-can-t-cope-with-avalanche-of-autism-and-adhd-diagnoses-warn-experts-amid-unprecedented-5-fold-increase-in-referrals/ar-BB1l3yp6?ocid=u508dhp
- https://theconversation.com/adhd-more-strongly-linked-to-anxiety-and-depression-compared-to-autism-new-research-198040
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519712/table/ch3.t3/
- https://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/understanding-adhd/content-section-1.3.2#:~:text=ICD%2D10%20does%20not%20formally,before%206%20years%20of%20age.
- https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-medication-for-adults-and-children/
- https://chadd.org/about-adhd/professionals-who-diagnose-and-treat-adhd/
- https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-extended-roles/adhd-framework-practice
- https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/
- https://adhduk.co.uk/diagnosis-pathways/
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/17/nhs-psychiatrist-adhd-underdiagnosis
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3430836/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8063758/
- https://www.additudemag.com/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-for-adhd/
- https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/rethinking-adult-adhd/202407/cbt-must-be-adapted-for-adults-with-adhd