12 percent of US children have ADHD

Nearly 12 percent of children in the US have been diagnosed with ADHD—and more than half are given a drug to control the symptoms.

Cases have risen by more than a million in just six years, and 7.1 million children—one in nine children or 11.4 percent—had been diagnosed with the condition up to 2022.

Nearly 60 percent of the children, aged between three to 17 years, have moderate to severe ADHD, and 53 percent have been given ADHD medication.  

The alarming picture comes from the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health, and researchers who have reviewed the statistics estimate that Covid restrictions, including school closures and lockdowns, may have played a part in the rise in cases.

Although ADHD has been more common in boys, researchers from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) say the gap between the genders is narrowing.  

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