I wouldn't be surprised if 15% of the population had ADHS. I'm also convinced it's not really a disorder, but a different writing in the brain that is (or was, in prehistoric times) beneficial in a lot of ways.
People with ADHS can achieve an impressive level of focus, determination and endurance if an activity interests them, can find creative solutions to problems because they think differently, and function better under a certain type of stress.
IMO they'd make great stone age hunters.
The problem is, our modern society doesn't fit their mindset at all, so they suffer in it and need medication and therapy to function in today's world.
Give me chaos and deadlines measured in minutes and I'll work 10hr with no complaints. Same task and a long deadline and I'll methodically prepare so I don't actually have to do the boring shit.
Forssmed said some of the explanations that have been floated include “increased awareness among healthcare professionals, schools and the public (and) broader diagnosis criteria”.
This seems like a likely explanation to me - ADHD awareness has exploded in recent years.
There's a real noticeable increase in different types of behavioral problems. Regardless if it's adhd, add, or other letter combination. Or just plain old bad parenting (and there's plenty of that)
I met up with a few of my old teachers and classmates last year. They all said the same. That they've seen and noticed this increase over the last 20 years.
The idea that everything is caused by more awareness is also just speculation based on anecdotal evidence. Not a bad speculation, but we shouldn't take it for a fact without a better study on that topic. Having anecdotal evidence against a hypothesis strenghtens the case for a proper study.
While kids are now more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD due to increased awareness and better diagnostic methods, this can also lead to an interesting "reverse echo" effect where their parents have a sudden realization that they're ADHD too.
Hearing about the symptoms from a doctor talking about your child can be an eye-opener that stuff we called "laziness" and "being too sensitive" back in the 80s might have a better name.
To me, this smacks of the MRSA problem the NHS (UK) had.
MRSA is an antibiotic resistant bacterial skin infection people can get and people were getting them in UK hospital. It does happen in hospitals but the rates of infection were too consistently high at the time because they weren't catching outbreaks soon enough and when they did, they didnt act soon enough.
After the public and news groups became aware of the problem, reforms were promised. An investigation showed that new, improved reporting measures should fix the problem. When they implemented the policies from the investigation and improved their reporting practices, you'll never guess what, reported cases of MRSA went up!
What a surprise.
If you had continued the trend lines from that, then I'm sure you can guess the kind of inflated "top end" figures you'd end up at.
I mean, there might turn out to be a problem but you also have to account for improvements in reporting standards.
The real problem is, improvements in reporting standards and improvements in interdepartmental coordination is boring as fuck! Who wants to read about that?
Who would have thought that if you go out and actively look for stuff you might actually find it.
But review is good I guess. Is it being over diagnosed, or do we really have to rethink stuff because there are loads of people struggling in the construct we have created because they are not neurotypical.
My guess is ADHD is more common than we thought and it needs to get more attention by not only diagnosing and medicating where needed, it also requires other systemic changes to accommodate for ADHD.
Like dyslexia.. on my youth people where just considered slow or stupid.. turns out they had a condition out of their control.
