J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol

Study finds 1 in 9 U.S. children have received an ADHD diagnosis

May 28, 2024

New research finds that in 2022, 7.1 million kids and adolescents in the U.S. had received an ADHD diagnosis—a million more children than in 2016. That means that about 1 in 9 children in the U.S., between the ages of 3 and 17, have been diagnosed with ADHD.

Estimates from the 2022 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) provide information on pediatric ADHD during the last full year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study authors encourage policymakers, government agencies, health care systems, public health practitioners, and other partners to use this data to plan for needs of children with ADHD.

• This study used 2022 NSCH data to estimate the prevalence of ever diagnosed and current ADHD among U.S. children ages 3 to 17 years.
• Approximately 1 in 9 U.S. children have ever received an ADHD diagnosis (11.4%, 7.1 million children) and 10.5% (6.5 million) had current ADHD.
• Among children with current ADHD, 58.1% had moderate or severe ADHD, 77.9% had at least one co-occurring disorder, approximately half of children with current ADHD (53.6%) received ADHD medication, and 44.4% had received behavioral treatment for ADHD in the past year; nearly one third (30.1%) did not receive any ADHD-specific treatment.

Source:

Danielson ML, et al. (2024, May 22). J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. ADHD Prevalence Among U.S. Children and Adolescents in 2022: Diagnosis, Severity, Co-Occurring Disorders, and Treatment. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38778436/