Are we overdiagnosing ADHD?

Increased awareness has resulted in a rise in diagnoses, but the stats may not be telling the full story

- 

When Nadia Sawalha revealed she'd been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2022, women posted messages of support on social media - many of them sharing that they felt 'seen'. An assessment with an ADHD specialist confirmed Nadia had been struggling with symptoms since childhood. She described her 'life-changing diagnosis' as giving her a reason for the 'chaos I've experienced throughout my life.'

Nadia isn't alone. In a bid to bust myths about the condition, an increasing number of celebrities, including Christine McGuinness, Mel B, Denise Welch and Sue Perkins, are choosing to talk about their midlife diagnosis. This, along with a greater awareness of female ADHD traits, means more women are gaining a better understanding of their own neurodiversity after many years of being undiagnosed and untreated.

However, with new cases soaring, there's now a big question mark over whether these diagnoses are accurate. Is everyone simply jumping on the ADHD bandwagon?

Defining the condition

For years, ADHD and those living with it have been misunderstood. Until recently there were still misconceptions surrounding how ADHD affects adults - especially women.

Symptoms are categorised in three ways: inattentiveness, hyperactivity, impulsiveness or a combination. This means the condition can manifest very differently from person to person.