Greater awareness behind ADHD surge, study suggests

ADHD is not becoming more common despite the surge in people asking for help, research suggests.

The review, led by King's College London, looked at 40 studies in 17 countries and found no clear evidence rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had risen since 2020, despite reported rises in diagnoses and longer waits for assessment.

Some blame greater social media use and the Covid pandemic for rising numbers – but the researchers say greater awareness and acceptance were likely to be encouraging more people to seek help.

There were no signs the true rate of ADHD, known as prevalence, was on the up, they added.