Why ADHD Diagnoses Have Exploded In The U.S.

The rate of ADHD diagnoses has been rising in the U.S. for the past two decades, and experts hypothesize that social media and the pandemic may be a catalyst. More Americans are seeking out treatment for ADHD all at once, which is putting strain on an already stretched thin health-care system.

Stories about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, have been having a resurgence in the social media zeitgeist the past several years, and it may be leading more people to seek out diagnosis for the condition.

"A lot of my patients would hold up their phone to the camera and be like, 'Here's this video that I saw on TikTok and this is why I have ADHD,'" said Dr. Sasha Hamdani. She is a psychiatrist and ADHD specialist who also is a content creator about the condition with more than 800,000 followers on TikTok.

This influx in people seeking out treatment all at once can cause a problem of supply and demand.

"What I see in my practice is that we have a six-month waiting list to get in. And we're incredibly busy," Adler said. "Some of that's from the pandemic, but I think there's a general need for services at this point."

The CDC announced in October that there was a shortage of both the brand name and generic form of Adderall in the U.S.

Watch the video above to learn more about the rise in ADHD in the United States and whether the health-care system can handle the increase in demand.

Produced by: Charlotte Morabito
Edited by: Amy Marino
Graphics by: Mallory Brangan, Jason Reginato
Additional Camera by: Nathaniel Lee, Andrea Miller, Talia Kaplan
Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson

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Why ADHD Diagnoses Have Exploded In The U.S.

[abetterlivedlife]

They left out two of the biggest reasons that ADHD is up. 1) There are more distractions these days (especially if you work from home) so it becomes a lot more apparent that you tend to get distracted. 2) ADHD is less obvious when there is a good structure in place. The pandemic pulled the rug out from under us when it came to structure. A lot of borderline ADHD people suddenly found themselves with no structure and the symptoms became obvious.

[joemacy]

It's important to keep in mind that not all attention problems are ADHD. I feel like there are a lot of people who will jump to the conclusion that they have ADHD just because they have trouble paying attention, but it doesn't work that way. There are many other mental disorders that can cause symptoms similar to ADHD including bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and autism just to name a few.

[windeld]

I was recently diagnosed with adhd after having lifelong issues. I wish they would spoken more about why people weren’t diagnosed when they were younger, like girls, poorer students or students of color. While adhd has become more “trendy” I am seeing a lot of people who were ignored finally get some answers and help.

[NK-iwrq]

Ive been diagnosed and I absolutely hate that so many people abuse ADHD meds making it harder for people like myself to get help. Its been difficult getting help, and once I did get help from a doctor she was very hesitant to prescribe me meds for treatment and im sure its because she had to first determine if i genuinely needed help or if i was just seeking drugs.

Its been life changing for me and I dont abuse it. I still sleep well, eat healthy and get exercise. But people like me dont make the headlines, only the people who abuse it and have terrible experiences with ADHD meds.

[PraetorAirsoft]

I have combined ADHD (the whole chart they showed, unfortunately) and it's really frustrating that emotional dysregulation isn't listed as a symptom or mentioned more often. It is by far the most difficult part of having ADHD. I hate it so much. I can deal with the others. For example, fear of failure, rejection sensitivity, unawareness of emotions, and spiralling anger.

[smokerscough]

I have it and my uncle has it. He was diagnosed in the 80s as a kid, I was called a shy and anxious young girl in the 90s and brushed off by the doctors Medicaid afforded my mom. It took until I was in my 20s to be diagnosed with something I definitely didn't want, but it was too obvious at that point that I was not society's definition of normal. I'm not a fan of how many people see this disorder as something trendy to say they have because they get distracted by Tiktok, but with more research and understanding on ADHD in women, it makes sense that more of us are being diagnosed.

[toocutepuppies]

I've thought my husband has ADHD for decades. He's finally getting diagnosed (at age 60) and treated, but ADHD in adults is no joke and can be quite crushing to their careers and mental health. There's still too much stigma associated with mental illness.

[Daniko]

This sounds like exactly what happened with depression diagnoses when SSRI's (Prozac, etc.) first became available. There was a huge spike in demand, concern that there was over-diagnosis and prescription, and then the realization that no, there actually were that many people out there that were depressed and could benefit from pharmaceutical assistance. And now it's ADHD. The question I have is why are so many people suffering from this kind of mental health issue? Is there a way to prevent it? Those answers seem less available.

[jaylittle]

PLEASE, PLEASE, do another video about how before 2008 (Obama Care), ADHD was not treated or paid for by insurance companies because it was thought adults grow out of having issues with it. I had to threaten legal action against Community Hospital North in Indianapolis for not being honest with me about the issues ADHD was causing for me. They gave me a diagnosis of NOS as my insurance company wouldn't pay the same for an ADHD diagnosis compared to a NOS diagnosis.

[SN-szkw]

Here’s one - they missed all the girls. Because they usually aren’t disruptive. So we just struggled for decades. Finally diagnosed in my 50’s. Both a relief and enraging.

[JoynaeLewis]

I use to take my ADHD medication every day but because I had to wait a week for my pharmacy to have it in stock, I decided to stop taking it on weekends for two month. I would recommend everyone do this. That way when it comes time for your next refill, you will have like 2 weeks worth of extra medication in case anything happens.

[lightningwingdragon]

It's only been over the past 20 years that research into ADHD has taken a leap. I was diagnosed early into this, and some of the consequences still affect me today.

[SaharatOfficial]

Got diagnosed ADHD around 20. Its been 2 years and definitely doesn't help when the environment around me isn't the same as it was 10 years ago. I also have depression / mania so we tried ADHD medications but I stopped due to it hindered me more than it helped. It sucks when I also don't know if it's my ADHD or depression acting up cause it all interconnects.

[mokahome]

The cost of medicine in the USA is truly insane. Vyvanse in Australia costs under US$30

[Bradimoose]

These traits wouldn't be so bad if we were working in active situations with our hands. However in boring repetitive office jobs I can see how these symptoms like difficulty listening and distraction would be a problem. If I was pouring concrete it wouldn't matter as much.

[gillianbandy]

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 17. I had struggled for years with symptoms doctors couldn’t quite put a diagnosis to that truly encompassed what I was going through. Growing up, I was constantly bored even when I had plenty to do. Nothing could hold my attention except for when it held all of my attention and became my hyperfixation. Careless mistakes were guaranteed on everything, which still is true to this day. I couldn’t stay organized, jumping from task to task while not finishing a single one. I would forget things that were asked of me and was unable to listen consistently when I was talked to (my mom would always say I just had “selective hearing”). In school, my lack of ability to keep attention combined with making good grades kept ADHD from even being a consideration because this was just seen as me being “quiet” and “too intelligent to have a disorder”.

For me, social media videos discussing ADHD highlighted that the presentation of the disorder in women is not always a kid who is bouncing off the walls and instead typically manifests internally. It made me realize that the disorder could explain the impairing struggles I had been dealing with my whole life which, after receiving unhelpful treatments for years, I had just accepted as normal. It encouraged me to do more digging and eventually talk to my therapist.

Receiving a diagnosis and treatment for ADHD was like putting on glasses for the first time. I wasn’t constantly depressed as I had adequate levels of neurotransmitters being supplemented that my brain did not adequately produce on its own. I could stay more organized and lost things less frequently. Tasks I wanted to start would not only be started but ended up getting completed more often than before.

I still struggle with ADHD symptoms but this is to be expected as treatments are not a cure-all. With this said, I am thankful to have stumbled upon videos that encouraged me to do more research as my diagnosis has allowed me to receive treatments that have significantly improved my life in ways I never thought were possible before.

[gergsmail]

Was really nice to see the subject approached professionally. Good job. There's so much more info to cover but progress is important.

[mschelceetv]

I was diagnosed with ADHD this year as an adult. I felt like I had to fight for the diagnosis after paying what I’ll call the ADHD tax (I.e., poorer professional and social outcomes) for so many years. I was evaluated as a child yet labeled as a ‘good student’ so my masking kept my parent from seeking help. I’m so happy to see more content on adult ADHD.

[Musical_Pigeon]

During a meeting with my psychiatrist she stopped and asked me why I didn't include ADHD on my medical history and realized that I wasn't diagnosed growing up when I should have been.

[MorganHorse]

I only just got diagnosed at 19 last January. I am so grateful. A lifetime of struggle finally changing. I adore Vyvanse. It’s $60 for me.
“It’s not because you’re lazy. It’s not because you’re stupid”