Podcast - Epidemic or Enlightenment? The ADHD Surge Explained
Description
The video version of this podcast can be found here:
· https://youtu.be/aDbEwtY3hw0
This video refers to a number of medical articles on ADHD published by a number of organisations (details below). Please note that the content on this channel reflects my professional interpretation/summary of the guidance and that I am in no way affiliated with, employed by or funded/sponsored by any of them.
My name is Fernando Florido and I am a General Practitioner in the United Kingdom. In this episode I cover ADHD increasing incidence, especially in adults, always focusing on what is relevant in Primary Care only. The information is based on a number of published medical articles. The links to them are below.
I am not giving medical advice; this video is intended for health care professionals, it is only my summary and my interpretation of the guidelines and you must use your clinical judgement.
Disclaimer:
The Video Content on this channel is for educational purposes and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on this YouTube channel. The statements made throughout this video are not to be used or relied on to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent health conditions.
In addition, transmission of this Content is not intended to create, and receipt by you does not constitute, a physician-patient relationship with Dr Fernando Florido, his employees, agents, independent contractors, or anyone acting on behalf of Dr Fernando Florido.
Intro / outro music: Track: Halfway Through — Broke In Summer [Audio Library Release]
- Music provided by Audio Library Plus
- Watch: https://youtu.be/aBGk6aJM3IU
- Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/halfway-through
There is a podcast version of this and other videos that you can access here:
Primary Care guidelines podcast:
· Redcircle: https://redcircle.com/shows/primary-care-guidelines
· Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5BmqS0Ol16oQ7Kr1WYzupK
· Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/primary-care-guidelines/id1608821148
There is a YouTube version of this and other videos that you can access here:
- The Practical GP YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@practicalgp?si=ecJGF5QCuMLQ6hrk
The resources consulted can be found here:
1. Shah P et al. “Potential impact of social media and COVID-19 restrictions on adult attention-deficit rates.” BJPsych Bulletin, 2025.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41208391/
2. Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2023–24, Chapter 9: ADHD (NHS England, 2024).
3. McKechnie DGJ et al., UK primary-care database study, 1998–2018 – summarised by NIHR as “Significant rise in ADHD diagnoses in the UK” (2023).
https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/significant-rise-adhd-diagnoses-uk?utm
4. Gimbach S et al. “ADHD medicine consumption in Europe after COVID-19.” Public Health / Pharmacoepidemiology, 2024.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10854136/?utm
5. Rzeszutek M et al. “Global Trends in ADHD Medication Use: Multiple Contexts and Populations.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025.
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/14/20/7338?utm
6. Martin AF et al. “The changing prevalence of ADHD? A systematic review.” Journal of Affective Disorders, 2025.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032725008638?utm
7. Staley BS et al. “ADHD Diagnosis, Treatment, and Telehealth Use in Adults — United States, 2023.” MMWR (CDC), 2024.
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/wr/mm7340a1.htm?utm
8. Butt DA et al. “Prevalence and Incidence Trends of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Canada.” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 2024.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/07067437231213553?utm
9. Therapeutics Initiative. “ADHD in adults.” Bulletin 144, 2023.
https://www.ti.ubc.ca/2023/09/29/144-adhd-adults/?utm
10. Bradlow RCJ et al. “Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Australia: how its current commercial model for diagnosis and treatment is encouraging misdiagnosis.” Medical Journal of Australia, 2025.
11. Woon LSC et al. “Online interest in ADHD predicts ADHD medication prescriptions in Australia from 2004 to 2023: a time-series analysis revealing COVID-19-related acceleration.” (2025).
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12138142/?utm
12. May T et al. “The Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for ADHD.” Australian Journal of General Practice / Australian guidelines consortium, 2023.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10363932/?utm
13. Cortese S et al. “Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults.” World Psychiatry / World Psychiatric Association, 2025. PMC+2Wiley Online Library+2
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12434367/?utm
Transcript
If you are listening to this podcast on YouTube, for a better experience, switch to the video version. The link is in the top right corner of the video and in the episode description.
Hello and welcome, I’m Fernando, a GP in the UK. Today we are going to talk about the increasing number of ADHD diagnoses, especially in adults, always focusing on what is relevant in Primary Care only.
I have based this episode on a number of published medical articles. The links to them are in the episode description.
Right, let’s jump into it.
And the first question to ask is: why are we covering this topic now?
You may be aware that in the UK, the government has recently announced a formal review into surging mental-health and neurodevelopmental diagnoses, including ADHD and autism. This has sparked media coverage and public debate: are we seeing a real increase in ADHD, or are normal struggles being unnecessarily medicalised?
In other words, is this an epidemic of overdiagnosis, or does the rise in cases simply reflect that we’re starting to catch up with reality?
So now, it’s more important than ever to look at what the research actually shows, especially around adult ADHD diagnoses. And although we in primary care are not directly responsible for the full diagnosis and treatment process, the way we assess and support these patients at their first point of contact can make a huge difference. It shapes how they experience their care, whether they feel understood, and whether they receive the guidance and support they need.
Let’s start by reminding ourselves that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental condition that a
United States
