UK ADHD Not Overdiagnosed, Expert Group Concludes

Overview

• A 32-member team of clinicians, academics and people with lived experience reports no robust evidence that ADHD is being overdiagnosed in the UK.
• Standardised estimates indicate roughly 5% of children and 3% of adults have ADHD, yet NHS records show detection rates well below these levels.
• Reported waits for children include about 27% waiting one to two years and 14% waiting two to three years for assessment.
• The authors acknowledge occasional misdiagnosis from poor-quality assessments but say the dominant problem is missed and delayed diagnosis with serious harms if untreated.
• The paper calls for more funding, workforce training and standardised multidisciplinary assessments as a government review examines rising demand for ADHD and related services.