A recent detailed analysis of prescribing trends for ADHD medications in Australia found prescriptions for ADHD medications doubled from 2013 to 2020. While this is clearly an important finding, it needs to be considered within the context of overall rates of prescribing, the recommendations of guidelines and, importantly, the prevalence of ADHD.
ADHD stands for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. About 5% of children and adolescents and 2.5% of adults worldwide have ADHD. While ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that generally begins in childhood, the symptoms and/or difficulties associated with the disorder continue into adolescence and adulthood.
