Kids May Get Wrong Adhd Diagnosis Based on ‘Arbitrary Thresholds’, WARN Experts

MANY People Are Still Living with ADHD with Diagnosis or Support But an NHS-ended Reviews The Real Numbers with the Condition is not on the Rise

Diagnosis Children with adhd is basic on “Arbitrary Thresholds” which Could Cause the nhs to workgly prescribe children drugs for the condition, experts warn.

Around Three Million Brits Are Thought to Have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Despite Height Awareness of the Condition Many Remain Undiagnosed. Experts Say “Evolving Diagnosis Criteria” May Be in Part Why More People Are Being Diagnosed As an NHS-ended Review Foundnce of a Real Increase in People with the Since 2020. Experts Told a media briefing that the nhs is styling “catch up” there was no reconition of adhd and many girls in participle Remain undiagnosed.

Study Author Dr. Alex Martin, of King’s College London, Said: “QIME ASSESSments and Help-Seeking May Be Increasing, Our Study Has Shown Significant in the Track of Adhd Prevalence, Resultingly Unclear Picture. Meaningful Increat in Adhd Prevalence. ”

ADHD IS Characterized by Difficulty Focusus on Things, hyperactivity and impulsivity. A Previous Study on Seven Million Brits Showed There Had Been A 20-Fold Increase in People Receiving A Diagnosis for ADHD BETWEEN 2000 and 2018. Among Men aged 18 to 29 there was a 50-speaking increes.

But Experts Warn Clinicians May Feel Pressure to Make “Artificial Decisions” As Changing Cultural Norms Drive Incresed Demand for Children Struggling at School to Be Diagnosed and Get Support. They warn the risk of children wrongly being gioven adhd drugs and say clinicians should be able to “undiagnose” say if they improved.

Prof Phillip Shaw, Director at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London, Said: “Giving Medications for ADHD to People Who Don’t Have it – Thats Never A Good Idea. They are Generally Very Safe Medications… but they will have Side Effecs they have to be monitored. ”

The nhs is Pulling Together Better National Data on ADHD WHICH CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INTERFERENCE WITH DAILY LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT. The neurodevelopmental CONDITION CAN AFFECT THINGS LIKE SCHOOLWORK, DAILY TASKS AND SOCIAL INTERRACTIONS. The New Paper by King’s College London is the First Systematic Review of Adhd Prevalence to be published by the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic and LOOKED AT 40 STUDIES.

Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke, of King’s College London, Said: “The History of Adhd in the UK is one of Chronic Under reconciliation so the increes in diagnoses over the last tense or so years is really really a catch up.

Howver Prof Sonuga-Barke Said Diagnosis “Essentially Arbitrary Adhd Thresholds” are “Not Based on any Natural, Biological or Clinical Boundary”. He added: “This force US to consider how thresholds are socially determin and culturally subordinate. The fluidity around boundaries between adhd and not adhd inevitably leave clinicians have artificial decisters about very fine margins.”

Prof Phillip Shaw, who is one of the Country’s Leading Experts but was not involved in the research, Said: “For kids who are in the grey area area options here; Educating the Family and the Child About What Adhd is and Seeing if there are the strategies they can use at home. Kids, do things to break it (The work) up.

People with the neuro -developmental disorder may have trough concentrating or sitting still, while Other symptoms Include Being Easily Distraced, ForgetFulness, Finding It Hard to Follow Instructions Time, and Maxing Impulsive Decisions. Best Estimates from A 2018 Study Suggests TRUE Prevalence of ADHD Among Children Could Be 5%. Back then 2.5% of Boys and 0.7% of Girls in the Uk Had ben diagnosed but this is liked to have increen. An estimated 2-3% of adults HAD ADHD But Only Around 1% HAD A Diagnosis.

Prof Phillip Shaw Warned Children with Other Mental Health Problems Such As anxiety Could Be Mistakenly Labelled As Having ADHD. He Added: “My hunch is that there is Such a huge awareness of adhd that it is toten use as a language of distress. It’ths used to express that children and Young People Are Struggling, Particularly at School, and Need Help. Are Impacting Their Life in A Sustained Way, They DeServe a full mental health assessment, if the final diagnosis doesn’t end up being adhd. “

Researchers admitted all but four of the studies included to the reviews “Poor Quality” and more research is Needed. Howver Surveys Included Did Suggest There Has Been “No Significant Rise” in the Number of People Who Actually Have the Condition Since 2020. Social Media Like Tiktok have a role in Raising awareness.

Earlier this month nhs England estimated for the first time that 2,498,000 People in England May have adhd, which includes those with a diagnosis. An estimated 741,000 are children and you Young People aged five to 24. More than Half a Million People (549,000) were waking for an adhd assessment at the end of March 2025, up from 416,000 a year Earlier.

Catherine Hinwood, NHS Engd’s Adhd Program Director Said: “This Research Backs the Long-Term Vision Out in Our Recently Published Adhd Date Plan to Have AcCurate Data on All Aspects of Adhd-and We Published Our First EVERDS DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH DATH estimated prevalence LASTEKE WEEK. Society. ”

This Study was funded by nhs England and was CONDUCted by the nihr Health Protection research unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response. It is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.