Skip to main content

One in Nine U.S. Children Have Ever Been Diagnosed With ADHD

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 24, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 23, 2024 -- Diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in U.S. children continue to increase, with approximately one in nine having ever received a diagnosis, according to a study published online May 23 in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.

Melissa L. Danielson, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues used data from the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health to estimate the prevalence of ever diagnosed and current ADHD among U.S. children ages 3 to 17 years.

The researchers found that approximately one in nine U.S. children have ever received an ADHD diagnosis (11.4 percent or an estimated 7.1 million children). One in 10 have a current ADHD diagnosis (10.5 percent or an estimated 6.5 million children). Among children with current ADHD, 58.1 percent have moderate or severe ADHD, 77.9 percent have at least one co-occurring disorder, 53.6 percent have received ADHD medication, and 44.4 percent have received behavioral treatment for ADHD in the past year. Of children with a current ADHD diagnosis, nearly one third (30.1 percent) have not received any ADHD-specific treatment.

"Pediatric ADHD remains an ongoing and expanding public health concern, as approximately 1 million more children had ever received an ADHD diagnosis in 2022 than in 2016," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

First Responders With More Debris Exposure Have Higher Risk of Early Dementia

FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- More severe exposure to dust or debris among World Trade Center (WTC) responders is significantly associated with a higher risk of dementia at <65...

1990 to 2019 Saw Increase in Life Expectancy in Seniors With T1DM

FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- From 1990 to 2019, there was an increase in life expectancy in older people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), according to a study published online...

Second Tumors Are Rare After Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy

FRIDAY, June 14, 2024 -- Second tumors are rarely seen after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, according to a study published in the June 13 issue of the New England...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.