Why have ADHD rates increased?

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology found that in 2022, about 1 in 9 children was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder at some point in their life.

About 6.5 million children aged 3 to 17 had ADHD that year, up from 5.4 million in 2016.

The study indicated some reasons for the trend: raised awareness of ADHD symptoms, more available treatments and the COVID-19 pandemic, which could have aggravated ADHD symptoms or allowed caregivers to observe children more closely.

The estimates were based on more than 45,000 responses to the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health.  

Read more: Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology

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