Posted by: Emily Craig Mailonline Senior Health Reporter
18:51 04 October 2023, 18:53 04 October 2023 Updated
- Researchers looked at US data on the number of children diagnosed with ADHD
- They found that interest rates remained stable at around 10% from 2017 to 2022.
Claims that ADHD diagnoses have skyrocketed during the pandemic are untrue, research suggests.
Researchers examined U.S. data on the number of children with these behavioral disorders and found that the rate remained stable from 2017 to 2022.
The results showed that around one in 10 young people are now diagnosed with the disease, which is no more likely than in recent years.
The discovery comes as TikTok videos detailing possible symptoms of COVID-19 have racked up millions of views among susceptible teens during the coronavirus crisis. It casts doubt on the widely held notion that cases are surging.
Medical professionals feared this would lead to a surge in misdiagnoses of ADHD and result in young people taking unnecessary medications.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects behavior.
Symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and impulsive behavior are usually noticed at an early age.
Previous studies have found that the prevalence of ADHD among children in the United States increased from 6.1% in 1997 to 10.2% in 2016.
But researchers at the School of Child and Adolescent Health at Guangdong Pharmaceutical University in China say no study has provided more up-to-date numbers.
To estimate ADHD prevalence from 2017 to 2022, they analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey, an annual survey of approximately 35,000 U.S. households. In this study, participants report their child’s ADHD diagnosis.
Results published in magazine JAMA Networkshowed that of the 37,609 youth ages 4 to 17 who participated in the study, 4,098 were diagnosed with ADHD.
This equates to 10.2 per cent of children in 2017/18, 10.1 per cent in 2019/20 and 10.5 per cent in 2021/22.
The researchers concluded that this did not represent a “significant change” from 2017 levels.
For comparison, only around 5% of children in the UK are thought to be diagnosed with ADHD, according to ADHD UK.
The researchers noted that diagnoses varied by age, gender, race, ethnicity, and family income and poverty rates, which is consistent with previous findings.
For example, 12- to 17-year-olds were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD compared to 4- to 7-year-olds, while boys were twice as likely to be diagnosed as girls.
The researchers noted that the numbers may contain some inaccuracy because the results are based on parents who responded to the survey.
They added that the survey was redesigned in 2019 and data collection was interrupted in 2020, which could affect the results.
However, the results do not reflect the increase that many doctors had expected.
Leading psychiatrists have previously said that people who use TikTok to detail symptoms of ADHD may lead to people believing they have ADHD symptoms when they don’t actually have them, leading to more people seeking diagnosis. He expressed concern that this may be the case.
They warn that the trend, which has racked up billions of views on the app, is making so-called neurodivergent conditions “aspirational”, with patients seeking private diagnosis. insisted.
The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but it is thought to involve genetic mutations that affect the function and structure of a person’s brain.
Premature babies and babies with epilepsy or brain injuries are considered to be at higher risk.
ADHD is also associated with other conditions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, Tourette’s disease, and epilepsy.
There is no cure, but a combination of medications and treatments are usually recommended to relieve symptoms and make daily life easier.
