Experts in West Yorkshire found increasing awareness of ADHD encourages people to seek diagnosis
Experts in West Yorkshire have found increasing awareness of ADHD, including via social media has encouraged more people to seek diagnosis
Prescriptions for drugs that treat ADHD have jumped 18% year-on-year since the pandemic, researchers in West Yorkshire have found.
Experts including from the University of Huddersfield has found increasing awareness of ADHD, including via social media platforms, has likely encouraged more people to seek diagnosis and treatment for the condition.
Another reason behind the rise could be the "strong association between the impact of the (Covid) pandemic and the worsening of ADHD symptoms", they said.
The new study, from experts at Aston University and the University of Huddersfield, calculated that ADHD prescriptions in England "increased significantly" from 25.17 items per 1,000 population in 2019/20 (before Covid) to 41.55 items in 2023/24, with an average annual increase of 18% nationally.
The team looked at English prescribing data for the five currently licensed ADHD drugs at national, regional, and NHS integrated care board (ICB) levels.
The drugs were three stimulants (methylphenidate which has brand names such as Ritalin, Concerta and Delmosart; dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine) and two non-stimulants (atomoxetine and guanfacine).
The study found that methylphenidate remained the most prescribed medication while lisdexamfetamine showed the highest growth rate (55% annually).
Published in the journal BMJ Mental Health, the study said there is an upward trend in ADHD prescription items in all seven regions of England.
Meanwhile, Corinne Hunter is the CEO of the West Yorkshire ADHD support group said she's not surprised there has been a rise: "Research shows that 3-5% of the population have ADHD, yet in 2012, the diagnostic rate for children in Kirklees was only 0.5%. We also know that many women are misdiagnosed with other mental health conditions when they actually had unidentified ADHD.
"The increase in diagnoses reflects better identification rather than an epidemic—we're finally reaching people who were previously missed."
Corinne also said: "Increased awareness is helping people identify symptoms they've struggled with throughout their lives but never had a name for.
"However, it's crucial to understand that a proper ADHD diagnosis requires meeting specific criteria: symptoms must be present in multiple settings, have emerged before age 12, cause significant impairment, and not be better explained by another condition. What we're witnessing isn't social media misinformation but rather people finding explanations for lifelong challenges."