Der Einsatz von ADHS-Medikamenten hat sich in Großbritannien in 13 Jahren mehr als verdreifacht. Das Vereinigte Königreich verzeichnete den höchsten relativen Anstieg von fünf untersuchten Ländern, mit einem 20-fachen Anstieg bei Frauen über 25 Jahren, die es nutzen. Es stimmt zwar, dass nicht jeder ADHS-Betroffene Medikamente benötigt, die Ergebnisse deuten jedoch darauf hin, dass ein erheblicher Anteil dies möglicherweise nicht tut.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/21/adhd-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-medication-uk-study
12 Kommentare
**Use of ADHD medication in UK more than tripled in 13 years**, study finds
**UK had highest relative increase of five countries in study, with 20-fold rise in proportion of women over 25 using it**
The proportion of people in the UK on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication has tripled in the past decade, with a 20-fold increase among women aged 25 and over, a study shows.
Researchers led by the University of Oxford examined electronic health records from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK to estimate the use of ADHD medication among adults and children aged three and above.
Prevalence increased across all five countries between 2010 and 2023, according to the research. The UK had the highest relative increase for all ages, rising more than threefold from 0.12% to 0.39%. In the Netherlands, prevalence more than doubled, from 0.67% to 1.56%.
The results of the study, which tracked methylphenidate, dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine and guanfacine, was published in the Lancet Regional Health – Europe journal.
Adult use increased substantially in all countries, particularly among women. In the UK, prevalence among people aged 25 and over increased from 0.01% in 2010 to 0.20% in 2023, with a more than 20-fold increase in women and 15-fold in men.
Although ADHD medication use remained higher among males, the sex gap in treatment narrowed over time and with increasing age, the researchers said.
“We observed a consistent increase in ADHD medication use across Europe, but the most striking changes were among adults, especially women,” said Xintong Li, the lead study author at Oxford. “These findings likely reflect growing awareness and diagnosis of adult ADHD, but they also raise important questions about long-term treatment patterns and care needs.”
The results also suggested a much lower rate of ADHD medication use compared with the estimated rate of ADHD itself, which is thought to affect about 8% of children and adolescents and 3% of adults globally, the researchers said.
They said **while it was true that not everyone with ADHD required medication, the findings suggested a substantial proportion may not be doing so.**
Methylphenidate was the most commonly used medication across all countries. Newer treatments such as lisdexamfetamine and guanfacine showed steady uptake after market approval. However, continuation of treatment after initiation was relatively low, varying substantially between countries.
The findings reflected growing recognition of ADHD as a lifelong condition and highlighted the need for healthcare systems to plan for rising demand, particularly amid ongoing ADHD medication shortages in parts of Europe, the researchers said.
For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00348-5/fulltext
This stat probably gets read as “over-prescribing,” but I think it’s more complicated than that. A lot of adults (especially women) were completely missed for years, so some increase was inevitable and honestly overdue.
That said, medication isn’t a free win for everyone. I actually do have ADHD and chose not to stay on stimulants because, for me, the long term health risks and addiction potential outweighed the short term focus boost. Structure, exercise, sleep, therapy, and very boring routines get me most of the benefit without the downsides. But I understand others cannot function without it.
I also wonder how much my life would improve in the short term if I listened to these doctors.
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ADHD diagnosis in the 80’s was being that kid that did respond to a beating and was too young to be put in the army or work.
In the 90’s it was diagnosed with observations and the treatment was ostracism to a special asylum school or put to work.
In the 2000 diagnosis and treatment with medication became a thing,side effects were still scary, beating and ostracism were rightfully realised as excessive and counter productive. Medication was starting to show that a harder more focused worker could be produced with said person taking a pill.
2010 people that missed the early childhood diagnosis started to realise the beatings, arguments and lack of focus were inherent in the brain function. At the same time global stress was low enough that the struggle wasn’t hiding it. Medical practitioners were still gun-shy due to the previous ostracising fundamentals running in background with legacy practitioners.
2020 the old legacy practitioners have been slowly retiring, the medications are now well known. Diagnosis is now more well spread.
One would hope that by 2030 prescription should be a simple as seeing your local GP for a online based evaluation for a 60 day trial to see if it’s beneficial.
I have ADHD, and drugs were the only treatment I was permitted. When I said they weren’t working properly, I got discharged. They’re pushed hard over any alternative.
So, my post is purely anecdotal, but I am from the UK and was diagnosed within this timeframe in middle age.
Being diagnosed and medicated has significantly improved my quality of life on a day to day basis.
I hope that everyone who can benefit is given access to effective medication, and that moral judgement becomes something we can confine to the history books.
„People with a medical condition are receiving diagnosis and appropriate treatment for that condition!“
why is this news? its like saying that the use of inhalers has increased cause more people are getting accurately diagnosed with asthma… like yeah… that’s a good thing but I just KNOW that some people will see this as negative.
Can’t wait for people with no professional or personal experience in this field to share their negative opinions on it
I have very obvious, very serious, life-crippling ADHD. Now in my forties, I mostly suffer from inattentive symptoms, but had very severe hyperactive symptoms (as well as many common comorbidities like APD and some autism-spectrum symptoms such as crippling anxiety relating to sounds and textures).
I didn’t look anyone in the eye while talking to them until I was 25 and learned about that. I didn’t know body language even existed until in a bar at 23 a friend of mine doing psychology at university told me about it.
Not a single medical or child professional in the UK ever once suggested I may have ADHD. That huge increase is probably because it was MASSIVELY under-diagnosed for a very long time. If your rates are very low, then bringing them up to normal rates is going to be a large relative increase.
“While it is true that not everyone with ADHD required medication, findings suggest a substantial proportion may not be doing so”
Am I having a stroke or does this make absolutely no sense
Anecdotally, peddling various ADHD prescriptions at universities was a very common student activity across the south of UK, I wonder if it has any meaningful impact on the numbers.
There is an absolutely massive generation of boomers and older gen X with a ton of previously undiagnosed ADHD who finally realized they had it when their kids were diagnosed and put on meds. My dad and mom are both cartoonishly ADHD. they are like different people who can finally function now with medication in their 50’s.