Comprehensive Care, Brilliant New Beginnings: Expert Closed-Door Symposium on Standardized Non-Pharmacological Therapies for ADHD in Children Hosted by Fangcun Doctor

With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, experts gathered at Yanqi Lake. On September 3, 2022, the Expert Symposium on Non-Pharmacological Therapies for ADHD, hosted by Fangcun Doctor and initiated by the Child Health Literacy Improvement Project Team (established under the guidance of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the National Health Commission and approved by the National Center for Mental Health and Psychiatric Prevention and Control), was grandly held at the Beijing Yanqi Hotel by the beautiful Yanqi Lake. The conference brought together experts from Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical UniversityProfessor Zheng Yi, Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of PediatricsProfessor Yang Jian, Peking University Sixth HospitalProfessor Liu JingThe Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South UniversityProf. Xuerong Luo, Research Center for Child Mental Health, Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical UniversityProf. Ke Xiaoyan, Beijing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical UniversityProfessor Cui YonghuaRenowned domestic experts and scholars focused on cutting-edge academic hotspots and engaged in vigorous discussions on the standardization of non-pharmacological therapies for ADHD, delivering a brilliant academic feast.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also known as hyperkinetic disorder, is primarily characterized by age-inappropriate distractibility, reduced attention span, contextually inappropriate hyperactivity, and emotional impulsivity. It is often accompanied by cognitive impairments and learning difficulties, while intelligence remains normal or near-normal. ADHD is common among school-aged children; however, symptoms persist into adolescence in 70% of affected individuals and into adulthood in 30%–50%. Currently, child psychiatrists widely recognize ADHD as a chronic, lifelong condition. Treatment approaches for ADHD generally include pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Non-pharmacological treatments encompass behavioral therapy, parent training, school-based interventions, and digital therapeutics.

Mr. Chen Xiang, CEO of Fangcun Doctor, delivered remarks on behalf of the company. As China’s largest service platform for ADHD, Fangcun Doctor offers the most comprehensive product coverage and enjoys high patient satisfaction. The company’s founding mission is to collaborate with leading experts to elevate the overall standard of comprehensive intervention in the ADHD field, thereby ensuring better therapeutic outcomes for children with ADHD. By harnessing the power of technology and humanistic care, Fangcun Doctor aims to bring China’s ADHD intervention standards in line with advanced global practices.

In recent years, non-pharmacological treatments have developed rapidly both domestically and internationally. With the accelerated progress of the national Brain Project, an increasing number of new therapeutic approaches have emerged. Although there is extensive research on these non-pharmacological therapies, standardized methods with high levels of evidence-based medicine remain scarce. Their development is influenced not only by scientific and technological advancements but also by various factors, including the environment, national health insurance policies, education, and social stability. Therefore, it is often stated that ADHD is not merely a clinical medical issue but a public health concern. Focusing on this field and exploring non-pharmacological treatments guided by standardized consensus and guidelines is of great importance.

Yue Xin, General Manager of the Digital Therapeutics Division at Fangcun Doctor, reported on the current status and development plans of the company’s product R&D pipeline. He also summarized standardized non-pharmacological diagnosis and treatment models from other countries, including support frameworks for non-drug therapies, the developmental pathways for ADHD diagnosis and treatment in developed nations, and the three major pillars of ADHD management. These insights aim to leverage advanced domestic and international diagnostic and therapeutic technologies and standards to promote the standardization, evidence-based practice, and widespread adoption of non-pharmacological ADHD treatments in China.

Expert Perspectives: The experts engaged in an accessible yet in-depth discussion on the standardization of non-pharmacological therapies for ADHD and emerging treatments. They unanimously recognized the urgent need to establish standardized pathways for non-pharmacological ADHD management. There is considerable anticipation among clinicians, parents, and patients for novel therapies that can complement existing treatment regimens, alleviate the predicament of patients with limited therapeutic options—such as those intolerant to medication—and achieve more significant symptom improvement and greater benefits through combination therapy. Furthermore, expectations for new therapies include the generation of robust evidence-based medical data to demonstrate their safety and efficacy.

At this grand event, national experts in child psychiatry and psychology gathered to implement guidelines and promote standardized practices. They engaged in thorough discussions on comprehensive interventions for ADHD and held in-depth exchanges on the full spectrum of non-pharmacological therapies, thereby providing holistic care for patients with ADHD.