Prescriptions for drugs to control ADHD symptoms have risen by 32 per cent in adults since 2015/16 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) causes persistent symptoms of restlessness, concentration problems and impulsive behaviour. “I call it the ‘hungry brain’”, says Dr Max Davie, a neurodevelopmental paediatrician specialising in ADHD and the co-founder of the charity ADHDUK.
“It is a condition where the brain is always looking for stimulation, movement, and emotion,” says Dr Davie. “A person with ADHD struggles to keep control of their brain and stop it from wandering off.”
Medication is the main treatment and figures from NHS Business Service Authority for 2022/23 show that prescriptions for drugs to control ADHD symptoms have risen by 32 per cent in adults and 12 per cent in children since 2015/16. Diagnoses have risen and additional manufacturing problems have led to shortages of ADHD medication in the UK and globally.
An estimated 2.2 million people have ADHD in England, and 2.6 million in the UK according to estimates from the charity ADHDUK.
Dr Ulrich Müller-Sedgwick, a consultant psychiatrist and Royal College of Psychiatrists ADHD champion, says figures show that 230,000 people were receiving ADHD medication at the end of 2023.
Yet “ ADHD is still being underdiagnosed ,” says Dr Müller-Sedgwick. “This is still only 0.5 per cent of the population, when ADHD is estimated to affect 7.5 per cent of children and 3.5 per cent in adults.” Does medication cure ADHD?
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