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ADHD UK – ADHD MEDIA INFORMATION PAGE

This document aims to provide sourced detailed information on ADHD primarily for members of the media but useful to many looking to quickly get information on ADHD.

Statement / Fact
Source (with link)
Official Defintion "A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development"
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Link: National Library of Medicine [USA]
3 types of ADHD:
(1)Inattentive subtype(20%-30%)
(2)Hyperactive-impulsive subtype (15%)
(3)Combined subtype (50%-75%)
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
5% Incidence of Childhood ADHD
The Lancet. Macro study of research to reach a consensus figure. Oct 2017.
3% to 4% Incidence of Adult ADHD
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Adult Male to Female Ratio is 3:1 (3 male for every 1 female)
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
Children Male to Female Ratio. Between 2 and 5 : 1
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
2.6million people in the UK have ADHD (708,000 children, 1,9m adults) (Note: Prevalence rate not diagnosed rate)
Incidence rate above plotted against ONS 2022 UK Population Estimate. Full details via link.
Over 80% of people with ADHD in the UK don't have a diagnosis
Prescription data plotted against research information on percentage with an Assessment who chose medication.
201.458 individuals in England receive a prescription for ADHD medication.
Extrapolates to 9.1% of people with ADHD receiving medication
ADHD UK page providing analysis of, and linking to, data from NHS Data Reporting on medecines used in mental health.
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.
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.
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.
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.
ADHD and Offenders. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry. Sept 2011
Useful Links
NHS Page on ADHD
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on ADHD
ADHD UK detailed "About ADHD" page
ADHD UK "How to get urgent mental healthcare now" page
ADHD UK page tracking TikTok use
Media Files
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