15.5 Million Adults Had Current ADHD Diagnosis in 2023

Of the about one-third receiving stimulant medication, 71.5 percent had difficulty filling prescription due to unavailability

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 15, 2024 (HealthDay News) — An estimated 15.5 million U.S adults had a current diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2023, according to research published in the Oct. 10 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Brooke S. Staley, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated the prevalence of ADHD diagnosis and treatment among U.S. adults using data from the National Center for Health Statistics Rapid Surveys System collected during October to November 2023.

The researchers found that based on self-report, an estimated 15.5 million U.S. adults (6.0 percent) had a current diagnosis of ADHD in 2023; about half received the diagnosis at age 18 years or older. In the previous year, 36.5 percent of adults with ADHD were not receiving any treatment, while one-third were receiving both medication and counseling or behavioral treatment. Of the approximately one-third of adults with ADHD who took a stimulant medication to treat their ADHD, 71.5 percent had difficulty filling their prescription because it was unavailable. About half of adults with ADHD have ever used telehealth for ADHD-related services.

“Results highlight the magnitude of ADHD as a public health issue across the life course,” the authors write. “Although the majority of adults with current ADHD received counseling or medication treatment for their ADHD in the previous year, approximately one-third did not receive any type of treatment.”