Rising ADHD Diagnoses Do Not Mean ADHD Is a Fad: What the 2026 Government Review Found

It has become almost impossible to talk about ADHD without someone asking whether it is being overdiagnosed, whether “everyone has it now”, or whether it is simply the latest mental health fad.

The number of people seeking an ADHD assessment has certainly risen. More adults are being diagnosed, and ADHD has become far more visible in the media and on social platforms. But does that mean ADHD itself is suddenly becoming more common?

A major independent review published by the UK Government in March 2026 offers a much more thoughtful answer.

The short version is this: ADHD diagnoses and referrals have risen sharply, but the best available evidence does not show a dramatic rise in the underlying prevalence of ADHD.

That distinction matters. It challenges the simplistic idea that the increase in diagnoses must mean ADHD has become fashionable, while also recognising that the full picture is complex and that good-quality assessment remains essential.

What did the 2026 ADHD review examine?

The Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism was published by the Department of Health and Social Care on 31 March 2026. It is an interim report, focused on England, with final conclusions and recommendations still to come.

Rather than simply counting how many people now have an ADHD diagnosis, the review separates three things that are often wrongly treated as though they mean the same thing:

These figures can move in very different ways. A rise in recorded diagnoses does not automatically mean that the condition itself has suddenly become more common.

So, is ADHD actually on the rise?

The report states that:

“The available evidence does not suggest a dramatic increase in the underlying population prevalence of ADHD.”

Population studies suggest that ADHD prevalence has remained relatively stable over time. The report uses broad estimates of around 5% in children and young people and 2% to 3% in adults. The evidence therefore supports the conclusion that there has not been a dramatic population-level rise, rather than suggesting there has been no change at all.

It is also important not to overstate what this interim report can tell us. England still lacks a recent, large-scale diagnostic study of adult ADHD in a representative population. Recent population data for children is also limited, and routine health records do not tell us enough about the severity or functional impact experienced by those being diagnosed. The findings are therefore important, but still provisional.

At the same time, recorded diagnoses, referrals and waiting lists have increased substantially, particularly since 2020.

Perhaps the clearest indication of the pressure now facing services is the growth in waiting lists. NHS England monitoring data cited in the review shows that the number of open referrals for children and young people awaiting an ADHD assessment rose from approximately 21,000 in April 2019 to around 270,000 by December 2025. That is more than a twelvefold increase in fewer than seven years.

This does not demonstrate that the underlying prevalence of ADHD has increased twelvefold. Waiting-list figures reflect growing recognition, referrals, access to assessment and the capacity of services to meet demand. What they do demonstrate is the scale of unmet need within the current system.

These patterns are not necessarily contradictory. A condition can remain relatively stable within the population while becoming more visible as recognition and help-seeking improve. The review considers improved recognition to be one likely contributor, alongside wider social pressures, pandemic-related changes, institutional factors and the possibility of changes in diagnostic thresholds.

Think about how our understanding of ADHD has changed. For many years, it was largely associated with visibly hyperactive boys. People whose difficulties appeared as disorganisation, chronic overwhelm, mental restlessness, emotional dysregulation, forgetfulness or inconsistent performance were much easier to miss.

Some adults develop extensive ways of compensating, such as overpreparing, creating rigid organisational systems, holding themselves to perfectionistic standards or relying on intense deadline pressure to get things done. Anxiety can become closely entangled with these strategies. From the outside, they might appear capable. Internally, the effort required can be enormous.

Greater awareness has not created these difficulties. It has given more people a possible explanation for struggles they may have carried for decades.

Why are ADHD diagnoses increasing, especially among women?

One of the report’s clearest findings is that the growth in diagnosis has been particularly marked among adolescent girls and young adult women.

It would be easy to present that as evidence of a new trend. Yet women and girls are also among the groups historically most likely to have been overlooked. NICE advises that ADHD is thought to be under-recognised in girls and women, while a systematic review of ADHD in adult women identified less overt presentations and compensatory strategies as factors that can contribute to delayed recognition.

The report identifies several factors that may be contributing to rising diagnoses at the same time:

• improved recognition of ADHD in previously underdiagnosed groups
• greater public awareness
• changes in help-seeking behaviour
• pressures and changes following the pandemic
• social and institutional factors, including the need for a diagnosis to access support
• the possibility of changes in assessment or diagnostic thresholds, which the review says cannot yet be determined

This is not a simple story of either underdiagnosis or overdiagnosis. Both can exist within the same system. Some people may be inaccurately diagnosed, while many others remain missed, misdiagnosed or unsupported.

What does the report say about ADHD overdiagnosis?

Perhaps the most important finding in this debate is that recorded ADHD prevalence within health systems remains below epidemiological estimates in most age groups, although the report is careful to acknowledge the uncertainty surrounding those benchmarks.

In the primary care data examined by the review, recorded ADHD prevalence in June 2025 was 1.19% overall, although it varied considerably according to age and sex. Looking across the available age-specific evidence, the review concluded that recorded prevalence remained below epidemiological estimates in most age groups, although the gap appeared to be narrowing among young adults and women. It also cautioned that these epidemiological estimates are broad benchmarks rather than precise figures.

The review therefore says the evidence presents a more complex picture than simple overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis. One possible interpretation is that continued underdiagnosis across the lifespan, particularly among older adults, is occurring alongside rapid growth in diagnosis among younger people. However, the review is clear that this is not yet a definitive conclusion because prevalence benchmarks remain uncertain and good data on functional impairment and diagnostic thresholds are still lacking.

That does not mean every assessment is correct or that concerns about assessment quality should be ignored. A diagnosis should be based on a comprehensive clinical assessment, developmental history, symptoms across settings and evidence of a meaningful impact on daily functioning. Social media recognition is not the same as diagnosis.

However, concerns about quality cannot reasonably be turned into the much broader claim that ADHD is not real, that most newly diagnosed people are mistaken, or that the condition is merely fashionable.

The report therefore does not support dismissing the recent growth in diagnosis as mere fashion or artefact. Equally, it cannot yet determine exactly how much of the increase reflects improved recognition, changes in diagnostic thresholds or a combination of both.

Why the “ADHD fad” narrative is harmful

Language like “fad”, “trend” or “everyone has ADHD now” may sound casual, but it can carry a significant cost.

It can make people doubt a legitimate diagnosis. It can discourage someone from asking for help. It can reinforce the shame already felt by adults who have spent years believing they were lazy, careless, overly sensitive or simply not trying hard enough. A systematic review of stigma in adults with ADHD linked dismissive and trivialising attitudes with negative self-perception, reduced disclosure and barriers to seeking support.

For women and other people whose ADHD was not recognised in childhood, late diagnosis can involve both relief and grief. A UK qualitative study of women diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood described diagnosis as empowering and validating, but often tinged with sadness about painful earlier experiences and missed support. There may be relief in finally understanding patterns that never made sense, but also grief for the self-compassion and opportunities that might have been available earlier.

When rising recognition is dismissed as fashion, these experiences are invalidated all over again.

The real issue is not whether ADHD has suddenly appeared

The 2026 government review does not give us a neat or final answer to every question. In fact, one of its strengths is its refusal to reduce a complicated picture to a headline.

What it does make clear is that rising diagnosis is not the same as rising underlying prevalence. ADHD has not suddenly appeared because people are talking about it more. Greater visibility may be helping us recognise people who were previously missed, particularly women and adults.

The challenge now is to ensure that people can access careful, evidence-based assessment and appropriate support without years of waiting, and without having to defend the legitimacy of their difficulties at every step.

ADHD is a well-established neurodevelopmental condition. What is changing rapidly is how often it is recognised, recorded and brought to services. The report does not support treating that entire increase as a passing fad.

If you recognise some of these patterns in yourself, you do not need to have everything figured out before seeking support. ADHD-informed psychological coaching can offer a structured space to understand your patterns, reduce overwhelm and experiment with ways of working that fit how your mind functions.

[Find out more about ADHD-informed coaching or arrange a free discovery call.]

FAQ section:

Is ADHD becoming more common in the UK?

The 2026 interim government review found no evidence of a dramatic increase in the underlying prevalence of ADHD, although it did note evidence of some more modest change over time. Diagnosis and referrals have risen much more rapidly than population prevalence.

Why are more adults being diagnosed with ADHD?

Likely contributors include greater awareness, improved recognition of people missed in childhood, changes in help-seeking and wider social pressures. The review says several factors are probably operating at once and cannot yet determine how much each one contributes.

Is ADHD overdiagnosed in the UK?

The evidence does not support a simple answer. Recorded prevalence remains below population estimates in most age groups, which is consistent with ongoing underdiagnosis, although those population benchmarks are uncertain. Assessment quality and the possibility of misdiagnosis or overdiagnosis in some cases still matter.

Why are more women being diagnosed with ADHD?

Women and girls have historically been more likely to be overlooked, partly because inattentive and internalised difficulties can be less visible than stereotypical hyperactivity. Improved recognition is likely to explain at least part of the recent rise.