Why more children are being diagnosed with ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is on the rise, especially among American children. The number of diagnoses notably increased between 2016 and 2022, largely due to there being a better understanding of the condition, better mental health screenings and as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The U.S. is also facing a shortage of Adderall, making effective treatment of ADHD more difficult.

How have ADHD numbers changed?

ADHD is an "ongoing and expanding public health concern," said a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The condition is defined as a "neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and problems in sustaining attention that cause impairment in many areas of life," said News Medical. While it can be hereditary, research has also shown that environmental factors can contribute to ADHD. In 2022, 7.1 million children and adolescents in the U.S. were diagnosed with the disorder, which is a million more children than in 2016. Additionally, 58.1% of children already diagnosed with ADHD had moderate or severe cases and 77.9% had at least one co-occurring disorder, for example, "behavioral problems such as anxiety or depression and developmental problems such as a learning disability or a speech delay," said ABC News.

While cases of ADHD have increased, there has been a decrease in the number of children receiving medical treatment for the disorder, including medication and behavioral therapy. "Older children between ages 12 and 17 were more likely than younger children between ages 6 and 11 to go untreated," said ABC News. "Children living in non-English speaking households were also less likely to report receiving treatment." Then there is the ongoing shortage of Adderall, one of the main drugs prescribed to treat ADHD, as a result of manufacturing delays and supply chain issues coupled with increased demand.

Why are more children being diagnosed?

The higher numbers can be attributed to there being a better understanding of ADHD now, as well as less stigma surrounding mental health. Girls and boys manifest symptoms of the condition differently, which previously meant boys were diagnosed at over twice the rate of girls; but experts are now aware of the distinctions. "Boys will often have hyperactive or impulsive ADHD, where they'll run into the street or jump off things or do things that might make them more likely to be injured," Melissa Danielson, the lead author of the CDC study, said to NPR. "Girls tend to manifest their ADHD in a more inattentive way. They'll be daydreaming or have a lack of focus or be hyper-focused on a particular task that maybe is not the task that they need to be focused on."

Many more children are also being screened for mental health issues. "A lot of those [ADHD] diagnoses ... might have been the result of a child being assessed for a different diagnosis, something like anxiety or depression, and their clinician identifying that the child also had ADHD," Danielson said. This was especially the case during the pandemic. "The Covid-19 pandemic had an extensive impact on healthcare utilization patterns for pediatric mental health," she added, with poor mental health at the time exacerbating ADHD symptoms in children.

Children with ADHD can experience negative health impacts, including an increased risk of depression, anxiety and substance abuse, as well as a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, chronic illness and accidental injury. But proper treatment can help reduce these risks. The new data on the condition "can be used by policymakers, government agencies, health care systems, public health practitioners, and other partners to plan for [the] needs of children with ADHD," the CDC study said.