A study by The Ohio State University found that 1 in 4 adults suspect they may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, raising concerns about how they’ll receive adequate treatment during a drug shortage
Indicators of a person having ADHD may include struggling with concentration, impulse control, and sitting still, but to an extent that it interferes with one’s ability to complete daily tasks. It’s typically diagnosed in childhood, with boys more likely to be diagnosed than girls.
As of 2022, 11% of U.S. children aged 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD.
Before the 1990s, fewer than 5% of children received a diagnosis of ADHD.
However, coinciding with the rise of social media, researchers have found that in the past 20 years, adults’ attention spans have dropped from 2 1/2 minutes to 45 seconds.
Now, adults who may be scrolling on apps such as Instagram and TikTok, which are known for their short, seconds-long videos, have come across content and pages dedicated to exploring ADHD symptoms and what living with ADHD is like.
According to the study author, psychologist Justin Barterian, ADHD is a disorder that a person has lived with their entire life, but it may have just gone undiagnosed.
“Whilst some people may think that ADHD is being over-diagnosed now, it is actually just a case of the healthcare system catching up and realizing that many went under the radar, simply because there wasn’t enough education and understanding,” Barterian told Newsweek.
Despite seeing a quarter of adults airing concerns about having ADHD, only 13% of them have actually expressed those concerns to a healthcare professional.
Symptoms of ADHD are often similar to other mental conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and relying on a self-diagnosis may cause more harm.
However, more adults are turning to online telehealth websites for diagnosis and also for prescriptions. More than half of people diagnosed with ADHD receive their diagnosis in adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“There’s definitely more awareness of how it can continue to affect folks into adulthood and a lot of people who are realizing, once their kids have been diagnosed, that they fit these symptoms as well, given that it’s a genetic disorder,” Barterian said.
However, for months, there’s been an Adderall shortage — a stimulant medication that is the primary means for treating ADHD.
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The CDC found that 70% of adults prescribed stimulant medication to treat ADHD are having difficulty obtaining their prescriptions.
This shortage comes as the Food and Drug Administration predicted a 3.1% increase in domestic use of the stimulant medication.