Norway faces rising ADHD diagnosis demand and healthcare gaps

Norway is experiencing a rising demand for ADHD evaluations, which is straining the capacity of the public healthcare system. According to the 2025 Public Health Report, the number of Norwegian teenage girls diagnosed with ADHD tripled between 2010 and 2022. It is estimated that approximately 3–5 percent of children and young people in Norway have the condition.

Psychiatrist Espen Anker notes that the increase is more pronounced among adults than children, though the exact cause remains uncertain. Gry Lunde, Secretary General of ADHD Norge, reports that many adults are being denied specialist healthcare services and are instead turning to private providers. This trend is creating a two-tier system where access to diagnosis and treatment depends on an individual's ability to pay.

Additional challenges include geographic disparities in service availability and varying levels of expertise among practitioners. There are also concerns regarding gender, as diagnostic criteria may not fully capture how ADHD manifests in girls, who may mask their symptoms.