UK children less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD

New research suggests that children are far less likely to be diagnosed with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the UK than they are in the USA.

However, the same study, led by the University of Exeter Medical School, suggests that autism diagnosis is still rising.

ADHD is thought to be the most common disorder of childhood.

A 2009 study in the USA found that 6.3 per cent of children aged 5-9 were diagnosed with ADHD.

In contrast, just 1.5 per cent of parents in the UK reported a diagnosis of ADHD in children aged between 6-8.

The team looked at figures from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, which is a sample of more than 19,000 children, representative of the UK population.

Kirtland Peterson

Read more