McKechnie, Douglas GJ;
O'Nions, Elizabeth;
Dunsmuir, Sandra;
Petersen, Irene;
(2023)
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnoses and prescriptions in UK primary care, 2000–2018: population-based cohort study.
BJPsych Open
, 9
(4)
, Article e121. 10.1192/bjo.2023.512.
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Abstract
Background: Rates of diagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be increasing in the UK. // Aims: Estimate incidence and prevalence of ADHD diagnoses and ADHD prescriptions in UK adults and children in primary care. // Method: We conducted a cohort study using IQVIA Medical Research Data, a UK primary care database. Rates of ADHD diagnoses and ADHD prescriptions were calculated between 2000 and 2018 for individuals aged 3–99 years, analysed by age, gender, social deprivation status and calendar year. // Results: Of 7 655 931 individuals, 35 877 (0.5%) had ADHD diagnoses; 18 518 (0.2%) received ADHD medication prescriptions. Diagnoses and prescription rates were greater in men versus women, children versus adults, and deprivation status (nearly double in most deprived versus least deprived quintile). By 2018, the proportion of ADHD diagnoses was 255 per 10 000 (95% CI 247–263) in boys and 67.7 per 10 000 (95% CI 63.5–71.9) in girls; for adults, it was 74.3 per 10 000 (95% CI 72.3–76.2) in men and 20 per 10 000 (95%CI 19.0–21.0) in women. Corresponding figures for prescriptions were 156 per 10 000 (95% CI 150–163) in boys, 36.8 per 10 000 (95% CI 33.8–40.0) in girls, 13.3 per 10 000 (95% CI 12.5–14.1) in men and 4.5 per 10 000 (95% CI 4.1–5.0) in women. Except among 3- to 5-year-olds, the incidence and prevalence of ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions have increased from 2000 to 2018 in all age groups. The absolute increase was highest in children, but the relative increase was largest among adults (e.g. among men aged 18–29 years, approximately 20-fold and nearly 50-fold increases in diagnoses and prescriptions, respectively). // Conclusions: The incidence and prevalence of both ADHD diagnoses and medication are highest among children. Proportionally, rates increased most among adults during 2000–2018. ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions are associated with socioeconomic deprivation.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder diagnoses and prescriptions in UK primary care, 2000–2018: population-based cohort study |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1192/bjo.2023.512 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2023.512 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders; primary care; central nervous system stimulants; epidemiology; socioeconomic deprivation |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Primary Care and Population Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10171199 |
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