Statement on the Government’s Independent Review into Mental Health, ADHD and Autism

ADHD is under-diagnosed, not over-diagnosed

NHS England estimates that around 2.5 million adults in the UK may have ADHD, yet in some areas adults face waits of up to eight years for assessment. Recent analysis of more than nine million GP records found that just 0.32% had an ADHD diagnosis, far below the expected UK adult prevalence of 3-4%. The recent NHS ADHD Taskforce publications (2025) showed that “in England, there is consistent evidence that ADHD is under-recognised, under-diagnosed and under-treated (including with medication)”.

Across national datasets, the picture is consistent:

• Underlying prevalence has remained stable for decades
• Higher diagnosis rates reflect greater awareness, not over-pathologising

We welcome scrutiny, but not stigma

The Government review will examine:

• What is driving changes in recorded prevalence
• The pressures on clinical services
• How diagnosis and treatment affect outcomes
• The gap between estimated need and recorded diagnoses (the ‘need vs recorded disorder’ gap)

 

Whilst there has been some public and media discussion suggesting that rising mental-health diagnoses may reflect everyday stresses, it is important to clarify that this does not reflect the evidence for ADHD. ADHD is a recognised neurodevelopmental condition, defined in NICE guidance, with prevalence that has remained stable. What has changed is awareness, particularly for adults and women, and this has helped many people finally access assessment after years of unmet need. Language that blurs the distinction between everyday pressures and neurodevelopmental conditions risks invalidating lived experience and overlooking the well-documented reality that ADHD remains significantly under-recognised and under-diagnosed in the UK.

These wider consequences are evidenced in the BMJ study: ADHD treatment and risk reduction, The ADHD Crisis in the UK Report (2025) and the National ADHD Taskforce Reports (2024; 2025)