Rise in ADHD Cases Raises Questions

01Allison Burke's daughter was struggling.

02The American teenager had uncontrolled emotions, a decreased ability to pay attention, and trouble completing work on time.

03A family doctor suggested testing for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.

04This led to an unexpected discovery.

05The teen had ADHD, and her mother, Allison Burke, did too.

06During her daughter's testing, Burke thought, wait a minute, this sounds familiar.

07I was able to piece together that this might be something I was experiencing, said Burke, who lives in Columbus, Ohio.

08She sought testing for herself, and was diagnosed with ADHD at 42 years old.

09More adults are being diagnosed with ADHD.

10Diagnoses have been rising for at least 20 years, but seem to have increased sharply in the last few years.

11A recent government study suggested that more than 15 million adults in the United States, about 1 in 17, have been diagnosed with ADHD.

12The condition starts in childhood.

13But about half of adults with ADHD are diagnosed when they are 18 or older.

14Some doctors say the number of people seeking ADHD testing is sharply increasing.

15Just in our clinic, requests for assessments have doubled in the last two years, said Justin Bartarian.

16He is a psychologist based at Ohio State University.

17ADHD makes it hard for people to pay attention and control their behaviors.

18The disorder can be genetic.

19Doctors often treat the disorder with drugs, behavioral therapy, or both.

20Judy Sandler is 62 years old and lives in the U.S.

21state of Maine.

22She was diagnosed in her 50s.

23Sandler describes what ADHD feels like for her.

24It's like there's an engine in you, and you feel like it's always running, and you can't turn it off except with medication, Sandler said.

25ADHD has been called the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorder in American children.

26More than 7 million children in the U.S.

27have been diagnosed.

28The disorder was once thought to be something that resolved as children became adults.

29But now, experts say, they believe that many people are not diagnosed as kids.

30And that the disorder continues into adulthood.

31Adults with the condition talk about having trouble focusing on immediate responsibilities and planning their time.

32Some say the disorder has led to problems in their personal relationships.

33Diagnoses have been increasing in both kids and adults.

34The recent government report also found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates had suggested.

35We haven't had federal adult ADHD data in a long time, said Angelika Clausen.

36The U.S.

37Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher was one of the study's writers.

38There were signs of the rise, she added.

39Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to severe shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

40A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions, or doctor's orders for such medication, was notable in adults, especially among women.

41ADHD diagnoses and medication were increasing before the pandemic.

42This is partly because of a change in general diagnostic measures in 2013.

43Those changes expanded the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of signs or symptoms required for diagnosis.

44But cases really seemed to increase in 2020, when schools closed and many adults were forced to work from home.

45It's very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids, Clausen said.

46She said such conditions may have worsened ADHD symptoms in people with less severe cases.

47Experts say that it was long believed that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults.

48Now, experts debate about whether it has become overdiagnosed.

49There is no blood or brain test for the disorder.

50Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms began in early childhood.

51Experts say the best way professionals diagnose ADHD is by getting careful histories from patients and from people who know them.

52They also might test a patient's memory and ability to focus.

53But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months.

54And assessments can cost thousands of dollars.

55Many people turn to family doctors.

56People also take online diagnostic tests, some of which are linked to health companies that prescribe medications.

57There is a wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose, said Margaret Sibley.

58She is a psychologist at University of Washington.

59The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is preparing a set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for American health professionals who treat adults.

60Sibley is leading the work on the guidelines, which the organization expects to release later this year.

61I'm Ana Mateo.

62And I'm Jill Robbins.

63Thank you.