Rising global trends in ADHD and ASD diagnoses studied

Researchers at Aarhus University have conducted a large-scale study examining the rising global trends in ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses. Analyzing data from over 2 million Danes and Danes born between 1994 and 2022, the study focused on more than 71,000 children and adolescents diagnosed with these conditions between 2012 and 2022.

The research aimed to determine whether the surge in diagnoses stems from changes in diagnostic practices, improved healthcare access, or an actual increase in neurodevelopmental risks. The findings indicate that 19 specific traits used to identify risk factors continued to distinguish diagnosed children from their neurotypical peers throughout the study period, suggesting that the core characteristics of these conditions remain distinct despite the increasing frequency of identification.

Global trends show significant increases in diagnoses. In Poland, the Ministry of National Education reported a tenfold increase in ADHD and ASD diagnoses over the last decade. In the United States, CDC data shows a 74 percent increase in ASD diagnoses among 8-year-olds between 2016 and 2022, with some states reporting up to a 500-fold increase over 20 years. In Denmark, diagnoses for both conditions tripled between 2000 and 2024.