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3 clusters · 7 sources · 16 days · First seen · Last updated

ADHD underdiagnosis and prescription surge in England

Overview

Follow‑up analyses in July‑August 2026 reinforce earlier findings that ADHD remains markedly under‑diagnosed in England while medication use is accelerating. A primary‑care record review of 3.5 million patients confirmed that only 1.19 % had an ADHD diagnosis in 2025, far below the 3‑5 % prevalence expected internationally; the discrepancy was most extreme among those aged 65 and over (0.05 %). The study also highlighted four physical signs that often accompany ADHD in children, underscoring broader recognition challenges.

NHS prescribing data released two days later showed a 31 % rise in the number of people receiving ADHD medication, reaching 427 000 in 2025. Adult prescriptions jumped 40 %, with the steepest increase among women aged 50‑59, where prescriptions rose about 40 % to over 4 000 in the 55‑59 cohort. Experts warned that the surge heightens the need for careful differential diagnosis, given overlapping symptoms with hormonal changes and thyroid disorders.

A subsequent multinational review placed England’s trends in a global context, noting a 20‑fold increase in diagnoses among men 18‑29 and a near‑50‑fold rise in prescriptions for the same group since 2000. For the first time adult stimulant prescriptions outnumbered those for children, and hormone‑related symptom amplification in women was identified as a factor driving recent prescription growth. Together, the data highlight persistent under‑recognition, especially in older adults and females, alongside rapidly expanding treatment rates, prompting calls for improved diagnostic pathways and integrated care.

Entities

Estrogen · Women · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder · United Kingdom · England

Timeline

  1. 12 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    Global Surge in ADHD Diagnoses and Prescriptions Across All Ages

    ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions have risen sharply worldwide, with UK adult prescriptions now exceeding child rates; new research links estrogen fluctuations to heightened ADHD symptoms in women, highlighting

  2. 25 days ago

    [HEALTH] 3 sources
    ADHD prescription rates surge 40% among middle‑aged women in England

    NHS data reveal a 40% rise in ADHD prescriptions for middle‑aged women in England, with adult prescriptions up 40% and women 50‑59 seeing the sharpest increase.

  3. 27 days ago

    [HEALTH] 2 sources
    England's ADHD diagnosis rates remain far below estimated prevalence, study shows

    UK research shows only 1.19% of English patients diagnosed with ADHD in 2025, far below 3‑5% estimates, especially low in older adults; experts note common physical signs in children.

Sources

againstallodds.org.uk · ca.sports.yahoo.com · huffingtonpost.co.uk · independent.co.uk · marilenabadolato.it · skedpal.com · uk-times.com