Some patients not receiving ADHD treatment, despite overall increase 

Medication use to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has significantly increased across the world, however prescription rates are still far below diagnosis rates in most Western countries, a major new study co-led by UCL has found. This study, published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry , provides the most comprehensive analysis yet of trends in ADHD medication use. Global estimates suggest that ADHD affects 5% to 7% of children and around 2.5% of adults. While use of ADHD medications in children and adolescents (aged 3-18 years) has gone up in all countries, the number of people using medication ranged from 0.3% in France to 6.7% among Medicaid beneficiaries in the USA in 2010. In adults, use of these drugs was less common, ranging from 0.003% in Japan to 1.5% among privately insured people in the USA in 2010. The findings highlight that prescription rates are still far below diagnosis rates in many countries. Additionally, the wide and persistent disparities in use of these drugs between countries and regions, suggests marked differences in the clinical approach to treating ADHD, underscoring the need for evidence-based guidelines to be followed consistently in clinical practice so that people with ADHD receive optimal treatment.