Research from King’s College London has found that cases of ADHD have remained stable since 2020 despite rising waits for assessment and diagnoses.
To conduct the research, which was published just today (Thursday 5th June), experts examined 40 studies across 17 countries and discovered no clear evidence for surging cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Instead, they found that cases have remained stable for the last five years.
Against this backdrop, some experts have suggested that wider social media use and the COVID-19 pandemic could have contributed to greater awareness of ADHD and encouraged more people to seek help.
In the study, which can be accessed in the Journal of Affective Disorders, it was noted that there were no signs the true rate of ADHD, otherwise known as prevalence, was on the up.
Lead researcher of the project Dr Alex Martin said that this was likely due to under-diagnosis of the condition. She said: ‘ADHD prevalence in adults and children remained largely stable since 2020.’
Meanwhile, in the UK around 3 to 4% of adults and around 5% of children and young people are thought to have ADHD and experts believe there are similar rates in other countries but only a fraction have been given a concrete diagnosis.
News of the study has come after figures published by the NHS last week estimated there were almost 2.5 million people in England with ADHD, with more than 550,000 currently waiting for an assessment. What’s more, every month 20,000 additional people are referred for support – a 13% rise on this time last year.
According to the NHS, ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that can affects how the brain works. Symptoms of the condition include finding it hard to concentrate, difficulty sitting still and finding it hard to finish tasks and follow instructions.
Photo by Tara Winstead
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