ADHD cases are on the rise. 7 million children in the United States have been diagnosed, study finds: Shots

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

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About 1 in 9 children in the United States, ages 3 to 17, have been diagnosed with ADHD. That’s according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that calls attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder a “growing public health problem.”

Researchers found that in 2022, 7.1 million children and adolescents in the United States were diagnosed with ADHD, one million more children than in 2016. This increase in the number of diagnoses wasn’t surprising, given that the data was collected during the pandemic, says Melissa Danielson, a statistician at the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and the lead author of the study.

She notes that other studies have found that many children have suffered increased stress, depression and anxiety during the pandemic. “Many of these diagnoses…could be the result of a child being examined for a different diagnosis, such as anxiety or depression, and their clinician discovering that the child also had ADHD,” Danielson explains.

The rise in diagnoses also comes against a backdrop of growing awareness of ADHD – and the different ways it can manifest in children. Danielson says this may help explain why girls are more frequently diagnosed with ADHD than boys than in the past. She says boys have long been diagnosed with ADHD at a rate about two and a half times higher than girls, but new reports reveal the difference is narrowing.

Decades ago, ADHD was considered a hyperactivity disorder in boys, Danielson says. “Boys often have hyperactive or impulsive ADHD, where they run in the street, jump from objects or do things that might make them more likely to hurt themselves,” she says.

“Girls tend to exhibit ADHD in more inattentive ways. They will daydream, lack focus, or be hyperfocused on a particular task that may not be the one they need to be focusing on,” says Danielson.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, was based on data from the National Survey of Children’s Health, which collects detailed information from parents.

Although the report found that the number of children diagnosed with ADHD has increased since 2016, only about half of them were taking medication to treat the condition, compared to two-thirds of children in 2016. The data does not examine not the reasons why This may be the case, but Danielson notes that reports of ADHD drug shortages began around the time the data was collected.

Dr. Max Wiznitzer,

Wiznitzer says medications are important because they can help children focus by controlling symptoms of impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention. But treating ADHD also requires therapy that can teach children – and their parents – behavioral and educational strategies to manage their condition. “It’s always a two-pronged approach,” he says. He finds it troubling that the report found that fewer than half of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD receive behavioral therapy.

The report also found that nearly 78% of children diagnosed with ADHD had at least one other diagnosed disorder. The most common were behavioral or conduct problems, anxiety and developmental delays. Autism and depression were also commonly seen, Danielson says.

Children with ADHD are at increased risk of other health problems, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. If left untreated, ADHD can increase the risk of serious health problems in adulthood. This includes a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and a shortened lifespan, says Wiznitzer – which is why increased awareness and diagnosis are important.

Danielson says parents can also find information about treatment and services at CHADD – Children And Adults with ADHD, a nonprofit resource organization where Wiznitzer serves on the advisory board.

He says parents seeking treatment for their children should start with a conversation with their pediatrician.

This story was edited by Jane Greenhalgh.