More medicines are prescribed, but are there more cases?
In general, there are five authorized drugs for the treatment of ADHD: three stimulants – methylphenidate, dexanfetamine and lisdexanfetamine – and two non -stimulating, atomoxetine and guanfacin. These drugs play a crucial role in the management of ADHD, especially in Absence of alternative treatment options As a psychological therapy.
The British study, led by Syed Hasan From the University of Huddersfield, the recipe set of England analyzed from April 2019 to March 2024 to trend trends in the recipe for drugs for ADHD on a national and regional scale. The results showed a significant increase in the recipes, of approximately 25 per 1000 people in 2019-2020 to 41 in 2023–2024With an average annual increase of 18 % in the country.
He Methylphenidate remained the most prescribed medication (19 articles per 1,000 people) While the largest increase was observed in Lisdexanfetamine, whose regulations grew by 55 % per year, from 2.9 to 8.7 per thousand people in the analyzed period.
“From the Pandemie, The reported cases of ADHD have continued to increase, as demonstrated by the growing demand for reliable information about the condition. In 2023, for example, ADHD was the second most consulted pathology on the website of National Health Service (NHS), only behind the COVID-19, ”says Hasan to Sinc.
The The recipes for ADHD increased, especially in adultsIn the seven regions of England, although with significant variations. London registered the largest annual increase (28 %), while Northeast and Yorkshire reported the lowest (13 %).
What does this inequality mean? A deeper analysis revealed that one Strong correlation between ADHD recipe rates and socio -economic factors: Ethnicity, poverty, age and inequality. The researchers emphasized the role of social networks in increasing the consciousness of ADHD, with platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram, which promotes more people to seek diagnosis and treatment.
What role does Tiktok has?
“Platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram are possible has contributed to a greater consciousness between people looking for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for ADHD“, Hasan adds.” However, there is a risk that these users will deposit excessive trust in shared information about these social networks, which is not always accurate or proves. “
Another more worrying factor is that COVID-19 Pandemie also Increased prescribed rates In the sense that many people were the opportunity to go to other types of solutions. And in these cases the answer was to look for the answer in Tiktok or Instagram.
“Some young people turn to tap because Access to barriers or negative experiences with mental health care professionals ”explains Amori Mikami, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and Main author of another study that appears today in Plos One. “It is also our responsibility to tackle inequalities in access to psychological care.”
That must be concluded Long waiting times to gain access to treatments such as psychological or behavioral therapy have taken many to Tiktok Looking for answers. The problem is that their quality is very uneven.
The iCanadian litterers analyzed the hundred videos that were most seen on Tiktok on ADHD And they discovered that “less than half of their explanations coincides with clinical guides for the diagnosis of the condition.” Many makers shared personal experiences without clarifying that they do not apply to all people with ADHD, something that can lead to incorrect self -diagnoses.
Finally, the scientists investigated 843 university students and compared their videos to those of clinical psychologists. The result is that young people tend to qualify inaccurate videos with a larger score, what that suggests wrong information, when there is, it will go unnoticed. In addition, the more content on ADHD, the more the prevalence and severity of the condition overestimated.
The next step is of course, Find the diagnosis and medication. “Tiktok can be an incredible tool to increase consciousness and reduce the stigma, but also has a negative side,” he says Vasileia KarasavvaOne of the work authors. “Anecdotes and personal experiences are powerful, but if they have no context, they can lead to misunderstandings about ADHD and mental health in general.”
What to do with this social network?
One of the Problems with observing certain behavior in social networks It is never possible to be sure whether these trends represent a temporary change related to the pandemic or the prelude to a more permanent transformation.
“Although psychological and behavioral therapies the ADHD symptoms and Reducing medicine dependence– All with its possible side effects – Access to these treatments via the public health system is usually influenced by long waiting times, “says Hasan.
None of the researchers have consulted, believes that access to these networks to those looking for information about ADHD must be limited. Both British and Canadian researchers discovered that it is one extremely valuable source to eradicate stigma Or spread what is and what is not the condition, in addition to the hand of people who talk about it in the first person.
“However, there is a risk that users will deposit excessive trust in shared information on these platforms, which is not always accurate or proves,” says Hasan, who argues for applying any regulations. “For Limit incorrect information and guarantee responsible debatesRegular audits, data verifications or operating systems must be implemented in order not to prevent the spread of information that is not verified or misleading. “