ADHD UK – ADHD MEDIA INFORMATION PAGE
This page aims to provide referenced / fact-checkable information regarding ADHD. To give members of the media facts and figures that they can use confidently.
Statement / Fact
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Official Defintion "A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development"
Statement / Fact
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3 types of ADHD:
(1)Inattentive subtype(20%-30%)
(2)Hyperactive-impulsive subtype (15%)
(3)Combined subtype (50%-75%)
(1)Inattentive subtype(20%-30%)
(2)Hyperactive-impulsive subtype (15%)
(3)Combined subtype (50%-75%)
Statement / Fact
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5% Incidence of Childhood ADHD
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3% to 4% Incidence of Adult ADHD
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Adult Male to Female Ratio is 3:1 (3 male for every 1 female)
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Children Male to Female Ratio. Between 2 and 5 : 1
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2.6million people in the UK have ADHD (708,000 children, 1,9m adults) (Note: Prevalence rate not diagnosed rate)
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Over 80% of people with ADHD in the UK don't have a diagnosis
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201.458 individuals in England receive a prescription for ADHD medication.
Extrapolates to 9.1% of people with ADHD receiving medication
Extrapolates to 9.1% of people with ADHD receiving medication
Statement / Fact
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Adults with ADHD five times more likely to try to take their own life than those without ADHD (14.0% vs 2.7% [5.2 times])
Factors Associated With Suicide Attempts Among Those With ADHD in a National Representative Canadian Sample. The Dark Side of ADHD. Archives of Suicide Research. Dec 2020.With additional confirmatory data from Suicidal behaviors and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a cross-sectional study among Chinese medical college students. BMC [British Medical Council] Psychiatry. May 2021
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One quarter of women with ADHD have tried to take their own life. (23.5% vs 3.3% without ADHD [7.8 times])
Factors Associated With Suicide Attempts Among Those With ADHD in a National Representative Canadian Sample. The Dark Side of ADHD. Archives of Suicide Research. Dec 2020.With additional confirmatory data from Suicidal behaviors and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a cross-sectional study among Chinese medical college students. BMC [British Medical Council] Psychiatry. May 2021
Statement / Fact
Source (with link)
One in ten men with ADHD have tried to take their own life (8.5% vs 2.1%v [4 times])
Factors Associated With Suicide Attempts Among Those With ADHD in a National Representative Canadian Sample. The Dark Side of ADHD. Archives of Suicide Research. Dec 2020.With additional confirmatory data from Suicidal behaviors and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a cross-sectional study among Chinese medical college students. BMC [British Medical Council] Psychiatry. May 2021
Statement / Fact
Source (with link)
The failure to identify and support individuals with ADHD is resulting in increased proportion falling into crime. 24% of males in UK prison have a positive screen for childhood ADHD. 45% of individuals in UK youth offendors have a positive screen for ADHD.
Useful Links
Useful Links
Media Files
Media Files
Medication Crisis Data and Reports
Medication Crisis Data and Reports