ADHD Awareness Month

Written on: 1 October 2025

ADHD Facts and Figures

October is ADHD Awareness month and we plan to provide you with lots of useful information about ADHD over the course of the month.

We thought it would be good to start by sharing some interesting statistics about ADHD in the UK.

What do the statistics tell us?

Top level numbers?

Between 3 and 4% of the UK population are living with ADHD. This is a lot of people. It’s interesting that a significant proportion do not have an official diagnosis, and as such may not be getting the support they need. This could be for a variety of different reasons, including self- awareness and long waiting lists for NHS assessments.

Gender & Diagnosis

It’s revealing that for every 3 males diagnosed with ADHD only 1 Women is, yet the prevalence between the sexes is considered equal. Again, there are lots of different reasons
 for this including

• Initial diagnostic criteria were male-centred
• Presentation of males and females differ
• Social & cultural expectations
• Later diagnosis in women

Co-Morbidity of ADHD & Autism

A significant number of people have both ADHD and Autism with a greater occurrence of both in people diagnosed with ADHD. This can be a very complex situation as most assessments are carried out for one condition or another, not both. If the secondary condition is diagnosed as the primary condition, this can lead to treatment being less effective for the client.

The impact of Covid on ADHD medication provision

The statistics show a dramatic increase in ADHD medication provision since the Covid -19 Pandemic. This doesn’t mean that more people were diagnosed with ADHD, but rather the change in circumstances during the pandemic (lockdown, inability to leave home, socialise etc) led to people feeling overwhelmed and unable to use their usual coping mechanisms to maintain their equilibrium.

Trauma & Impact on ADHD

Research has shown there is a link between PTSD and ADHD. It is only in recent years that the full impact of Trauma on the brain has been recognised. Earlier diagnosis of trauma reactions can help to minimise ADHD symptoms.