Carl Mumford on LinkedIn: In 2015 I never knew I had ADHD, but I did enjoy jumping out of this… (2024)

Meta‐analysis of the prevalence of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder in prison: A comment on Fazel and Favril (2024) and reanalysis of the data. 📑🏢I wrote about the initial study, which showed the ADHD prison population at 8%. This data was disputed by Baggio and Efthimiou (2024). The authors address criticisms raised by Fazel and Favril (2024) regarding their previous meta-analysis and provide a revised estimate of ADHD prevalence among adult detained persons.Baggio and Efthimiou argue that Fazel and Favril's exclusion of studies with "selected samples" (e.g., those with violent offending or those referred for psychiatric care) may lead to an underestimation of ADHD prevalence. The authors challenge Fazel and Favril's approach to moderators and outliers. They argue that the significance level in meta-regression should not be used to decide whether to pool subgroups or not and that post-hoc exclusion of studies without sound a priori justification can introduce bias.The authors conducted a meta-regression on 28 studies focusing on adult detained persons.The reanalysis yielded a pooled prevalence of ADHD of 22.2%, which is higher than Fazel and Favril's estimate of 8.3%.This is a more accurate figure in line with what we have previously seen, but I still feel it falls short of what the number would be if the whole prison population was screened. 🔍

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A video has been shared on social media of Justin Timberlake, his eyes painting a story that is all too often seen with ADHD.Burnout, potential addiction, and rejection sensitivity if he doesn't perform. So Justin continues to push himself because the thing he is doing provides him dopamine. The highs of a concert are followed by the lows of a dressing room, where else to turn to substance misuse? 🍺 It's a story that we have seen all too often.Amy Winehouse showed traits of Autism and ADHD.Dave Grohl from Nirvana. 🥁 Will.I.am.Adam Levine.Britney Spears. The creative minds that these people with ADHD have, also juxtaposed against the emotional dysregulation that can sometimes lead to addiction.But the world media seem to point and laugh, merely sharing it and encouraging sharing for likes without taking any real responsibility for raising awareness of ADHD.Looking at the video, I feel the addiction that he is possibly experiencing. Maybe because, like many before him with ADHD, he has felt the strain of getting on with it, despite the wheels coming off inside.Having the lived experience, I recognise the pattern of behaviour in these situations. There are many people in the same position who don't understand why, lives could be changed if they did.

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I wish my short-term memory were better.Having ADHD means I am often distracted, or my thoughts are busy at some of the most important times when I should be remembering. It’s not that I am not listening; my short-term memory has difficulty retaining that information.People with ADHD often experience poor memory due to differences in brain activation, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum, which are involved in working memory and attention. These differences can lead to difficulties in focusing, organising, and storing new information. 🧠It gets me down sometimes and here’s why:- I forget names and faces despite meeting someone several times. 🤷♂️ - I have lost memories that others seem to recall so easily. 😥 - I often get frustrated with myself because I’m trying so hard to remember simple details.- I’ll seem disinterested in relationships, when the reality is, I simply don’t recall what happened. I may have a brain that struggles to store some information, but my brain can:- Process lots of information at speed, making quick (often life-saving in Policing) decisions. 🏃♂️- Develop projects quicker than most due to the speed that I am thinking.- Store lots of information about things I am interested in, the things that provide me stimulation and dopamine. - Think creatively and outside the box, finding innovative solutions to complex problems as my brain flicks to the next thing. Like when you change the TV channel constantly.I have clearer thoughts when I'm in the mountains and there is less noise around me. What's your experience of ADHD and memory?

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Yesterday I was very grateful to be able to share how passionate Creased Puddle is about neurodiversity at the Benenden Health Annual Conference in Birmingham. I've been a Benenden customer for several years now and have used their brilliant healthcare services.I shared my personal story of how I discovered I have ADHD, what neurodiversity is, and why it's so important to understand its strengths and challenges. Benenden has really taken leaps forward to support their members with neurodiversity, and it's great to see. 👏There are numerous connections between physical health, mental health, and neurodiversity. Understanding these links can lead to quicker implementation of reasonable adjustments and support strategies. By doing so, we can help neurodivergent individuals thrive in the workplace and in their personal lives, providing them with opportunities to utilise their strengths.

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When I was in the police I was fortunate enough to take part in police week with Gary Craig in Denmark. 🚓🇩🇰 Thin Blue Line (non-profit organisation) Denmark looked after us, helped us recover and brought us together with other police officers who had similar experiences to ourselves. I met some brilliant police officers from all over the world and took part in some amazing activities.It was one of the best weeks I have ever had.ThinBlueLineUK are now taking applications for this year. Even though I am not a police officer anymore, I am still an ambassador for their charity and brilliant work that they do. Last year we raised over £13,000 for TASC The Ambulance Staff Charity and ThinBlueLineUK via the Emergency Service Challenge.

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This morning, we're seeing Justin Timberlake's photograph in our news feeds.Justin Timberlake has ADHD.The world media are reporting that he has been charged with drink-driving. 🍺 🚗 But what may be underneath?- Struggling to regulate- Risk-taking- Impulsivity and poor judgment- Self-medicating- Poor mental health, depression & anxiety- Strained relationships with familyThe world media won't make the link between ADHD and alcohol in their reports.But it's the reality for millions of people who turn to the bottle to manage their ADHD.While not an excuse for drink driving, my questions and support for Justin's ADHD would go deeper because he may just do it again.A conversation we should be having more, as the consequences can ruin lives.#adhd #alcohol

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Where does the school-to-prison pipeline start? 'Councils expect £1bn shortfall in special educational needs''Councils in England are predicting a nearly £1 billion shortfall in their special needs budgets this year. Out of the 153 councils contacted by the BBC, 113 provided their financial forecasts.''According to the County Council Network, since 2019, the accumulated deficit for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in England has reached £3.2 billion.' 📉'The overall situation shows rising demand coupled with increasing pressure on council budgets, indicating that the gap between funding and spending has been widening since last year.'In 2023, the average annual cost of a place in a youth prison (secure estate for children and young people) in England and Wales is approximately £277,000. 💷In 2023, the average cost of a prison place in England and Wales is approximately £46,696 per year.Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that a notable 79.8% of individuals who eventually received custodial sentences had been identified with SEN at some point during their schooling (2023). 📊The government, in their own words, have stated that half of the prison population are neurodivergent. 🧠I'm not excellent at math, but I'd say investing in education is going to save you a few quid down the line, no?

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One of the hardest feelings with ADHD? Nothing ever being enough.Life with ADHD can often feel like a constant chase. It's a chase for more excitement, more stimulation, and more fulfilment. This relentless pursuit, while sometimes exhilarating, can also be exhausting and overwhelming.Wanting more, constantly. And the destruction that it causes in its wake. In work, relationships, finances, and more.People with ADHD often experience an increased need for stimulation and dopamine to help regulate how they are feeling. The ADHD brain thrives on novelty and excitement, which can manifest in a constant desire for new experiences, achievements, and challenges. This drive is not always negative; it can lead to creativity, innovation, and productivity. However, it can also create a sense of restlessness and dissatisfaction with where you are.Ambition is a powerful motivator, but for those with ADHD, it can be a double-edged sword. The desire for more can lead to:1. Overcommitment: Taking on too many projects or responsibilities, leading to burnout and decreased performance.2. Impulsivity: Making hasty decisions in the pursuit of new goals, sometimes resulting in outcomes that they may regret.3. Frustration: Feeling continually unsatisfied with accomplishments, always seeking the next big thing.It’s like a hamster wheel where you slow down and speed up, but continually move. Staying still, though it seems like it should be easy, is one of the hardest things.

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An excerpt from Angela Kirwin’s book 'Criminal.'“Once we were all finally seated and the group had started, Shaun told us he loved the thrill of shoplifting. As a kid, his first memory was pocketing pick ‘n’ mix on a day out to Woolworths. Told us he got good at it, too. Started nicking things for other people, selling them on, turning tidy profits every day. He was always chasing new highs. It started with alcohol, spending his earnings on vodka. Cocaine next. When he first got banged up, he couldn’t deal with the boredom, the monotony. With a racing mind and nothing to do, he’d started smoking weed to kill the bird.’When you look a bit deeper, when you read between the lines, you see the finer details.Loved the thrill.Turning tidy profits. 💵Chasing new highs. 🚀Alcohol, vodka, cocaine. 💊Boredom, racing mind. 😵💫Smoking weed to settle his mind.Risk taking.Dopamine.Entrepreneurial mindset. 🧠DopamineDopamineDopamineDopamine.It’s not an excuse, it’s a reason.In 2018, over 25,000 were sentenced to serve less than six months in prison. Of them 60 per cent reported a drug or alcohol issue, and just like Shaun, committed crimes that were linked to addiction.The writing is on the wall, when you read between lines, you see how closely ADHD can be linked to crime. Having ADHD doesn't make you a criminal, but the behaviours associated with it are risk factors that can lead to criminality.And more importantly, the answers to making change happen.

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