September 2025, medical practitioners have been authorised to prescribe ADHD medication, with children being prioritised in the initial rollout( 19). By the end of 2025, general practitioners( GPs) will be able to undertake training to become‘ endorsed prescribers,’ permitting them to diagnose ADHD and initiate pharmacological treatment. While these reforms are expected to reduce current wait times— which are typically 3 months in metropolitan areas and up to 18 – 24 months in regional settings— for children and adolescents to access paediatric or psychiatric care and commence therapy, they may also result in an overall increase in prescription rates.
Research highlights that GPs have knowledge gaps about ADHD( 20) and are concerned about overmedication and prefer multidisciplinary care( 21). However, despite evidence supporting the effectiveness of naturopathic care, referrals for behavioural or lifestyle support remain low, and hesitancy toward naturopathy persists( 22-25).
Naturopathic care may offer a costeffective, lifestyle-focused adjunct to ADHD management( 23) emphasising the need for more individualised, holistic approaches beyond current clinical guidelines. Complementary and alternative medicine( CAM) use in Australia is widespread for its integrative and patient-centred care( 26-28), however evidence regarding whole systems naturopathic management of ADHD is limited.
The Knowledge Gap
A notable gap persists in the literature regarding the specific role of naturopaths in managing ADHD in paediatric populations. Studies have found that patients turn to complementary and alternative medicine( CAM) due to the significant side effects of conventional treatments for ADHD, including anorexia, weight loss, abdominal pain, sleep disturbances, headaches, irritability, anxiety, depression, appetite suppression, and rare cases of stimulant-induced psychosis and sudden death( 29).
A systematic review identified 16 high-quality trials exploring CAM efficacy in ADHD, with up to 50 % of children using CAM, although parents rarely disclosed this use to their paediatrician( 29, 30). However, this review did not examine CAM within the broader context of naturopathic care, such as treatment approaches, consultation structures, functional testing, collaboration, or clinical accommodations.
Extensive research has identified effective CAM interventions for ADHD, including zinc and iron( 29, 31), L-theanine( 32), omega-3 PUFAs( 33, 34), green-lipped mussel extract( 35) and MENTAT( 36). Herbal therapies like Bacopa monnieri, Ginkgo biloba, Pycnogenol, Passiflora incarnata( Passionflower), Prunus dulcis and Crocus sativus( Saffron) have also been evaluated( 32, 37-40). A meta-analysis( 39) reported fewer adverse effects in CAM medicine treatments than in controls, highlighting the potential safety advantages of natural approaches and underscoring the need to further evaluate the overall effectiveness of naturopathy as a whole.
Dietary interventions such as the Mediterranean diet have also shown symptom improvement in ADHD( 41) as has the elimination of certain foods( 42). Micronutrient supplementation has also been associated with improved overall function, attention, emotional regulation, and aggression control in children with ADHD, with minimal adverse events( 43). The Micronutrients for ADHD in Youth( MADDY) study reported that higher fruit and vegetable intake correlated with reduced inattention symptoms( 44). However, there is limited evidence on how naturopaths implement these strategies and dietary modifications in children within clinical practice.
Nutritional deficiencies in omega-3s, vitamins, and minerals are prevalent among children with ADHD( 44, 45). Additionally, micronutrient supplementation appears to improve microbial diversity and may benefit ADHD symptomatology( 43, 46). With stimulant medications shown to alter the gut microbiome( 47), this area presents a promising avenue for naturopathic clinical application. Naturopaths frequently use functional tests like stool microbiota and blood analysis( 48, 49), but understanding which tests are used for ADHD remains unclear and represents a notable gap in the literature.
Naturopathy centres on holistic, individualised care and recognition of neurodivergent traits beyond traditional diagnostic models. Arentz( 22) argues that naturopaths and herbalists support patient-centred care by addressing individual contexts and leveraging strengths rather than pathologising neurodivergence. However, empirical data on how this translates into clinical practice remains limited.
What is Whole Systems Research?
Whole systems research( WSR) is an approach that studies complex healthcare practices in their entirety— examining not just individual treatments, but the interactions between modalities, practitioner – patient relationships, and the broader context in which care is delivered.
WSR aligns with naturopathic philosophy, which emphasises individualised, integrative, and preventive healthcare and explores multi-variable health interventions( 50, 51). Increasingly, research is shifting towards integrative approaches that empower patients( 52), and this is reflected in naturopathic principles such as Tolle Totum( Treat the whole person), Docere( Doctor as Teacher) and Preventare( Prevention)( 53). Despite being underutilised( 54), naturopaths are well positioned to meet rising patient demand for integrated care( 55).
WSR has demonstrated efficacy in researching complex conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, PCOS,
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