Australian Psychological Society
Psychologists Urge ADHD Reforms with Collaborative Care
Australia’s peak body for psychology, the Australian Psychological Society (APS), is calling on the New South Wales (NSW) Government to acknowledge the role of psychologists in its newly announced ADHD care reforms, to ensure timely, accurate and affordable support for people living with ADHD.
This week, the NSW Government announced that, general practitioners (GPs) will soon be able to diagnose and treat ADHD – joining Queensland in expanding access to care.
While welcoming the broader focus on improving ADHD support, APS President Dr Sara Quinn said the reforms risk overlooking the vital role psychologists could and should have in both diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
“Psychologists are trained and ready to help. Many psychologists have completed advanced training to assess and diagnose ADHD.
“Increasing collaboration with psychologists has the potential to reduce strain on the system and improve patient access.”
Dr Quinn said the APS supports GPs taking a greater role in managing ADHD, but added a collaborative model – where psychologists provide assessment and diagnosis and GPs oversee medication – would provide a sustainable and effective solution.
“Medical and health professionals are encouraged to adhere to evidence-based and best-practice assessment and intervention methods, as outlined in the Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for ADHD.
“Psychologists offer comprehensive, evidence-based assessments that consider the full picture, including co-occurring mental health or learning conditions that impact more than two thirds of people with ADHD,” Dr Quinn said.
“It is well within their scope of practice for psychologists to competently perform thorough assessments that consider the variety of factors that contribute to presenting problems associated with ADHD as well as other possible diagnoses,” Dr Quinn said.
“This is about getting the right care to people faster.
“Psychologists can help ease pressure on GPs, paediatricians and psychiatrists and work to improve patient outcomes, via a more collaborative, holistic model of care.”
https://psychology.org.au/about-us/news-and-media/media-releases/2025/psychologists-call-for-adhd-reforms-that-include-c