ADHD among children on rise in Finland

The number of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses among children and young people has continued to increase in Finland, according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

In 2023, about 11% of boys of primary school age had an ADHD diagnosis. The corresponding share for boys aged 13 to 17 was about 10%. The administrative prevalence of ADHD diagnoses among girls was about 4% at primary school age and about 6% among those aged 13 to 17.

ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental condition that starts in childhood and often persists into adulthood.

In recent years, ADHD diagnoses among children and young people have relatively increased the most among girls aged 13 to 17.

“The increase in ADHD diagnoses among children and young people is not yet stabilising. The results also contribute to strengthening the idea that girls are diagnosed clearly later than boys. Similar results have also been observed in Sweden and Denmark,” said Miika Vuori, Senior Researcher of Kela.

According to the register, more than 52,500 children and young people who had been diagnosed with ADHD had visited primary health care, including school and student health care, and specialised medical care in 2023. Out of them, 36,600 were boys and 15,900 girls.

According to Terhi Aalto-Setälä, Chief Physician of THL, many factors have an impact on the increase in ADHD diagnoses.

“ADHD symptoms are now quite well known, and people are also more likely to seek an assessment. However, symptoms can be explained by many other factors in the development or growth environment of the child or young person besides ADHD, which is why a careful assessment is needed. This is a significant challenge especially for school and student health care, which is increasingly under pressure to perform these assessments,” said Aalto-Setälä.

The use of ADHD medication is also becoming more common in children and young people. According to register data managed by Kela, nearly 46,500 children and young people used them in 2023. Out of them 33,100 were boys and 13,350 girls.

ADHD diagnoses among children and young people and the use of ADHD medication are the most common in Eastern Finland and the rarest in Ostrobothnia and Eastern Uusimaa.

“Major regional differences in both diagnoses and medication use indicate that there are also significant regional variations in assessment and treatment practices. More attention should be paid to this,” said Aalto-Setälä.

According to Vuori and Aalto-Setälä, ADHD in children and young people is also a societal issue to a great extent. In addition to Finland, there have been concerns about ADHD treatment practices and of how ADHD diagnoses are made especially in Iceland and Sweden.

In Iceland, the use of ADHD medication in children and young people is more common than in Finland. In Sweden, an estimated 8 per cent of boys and 5 per cent of girls used ADHD medication in 2023.

According to THL and Kela experts, the annual prevalence of ADHD diagnoses among primary school-age boys in Finland will rise to approximately 15 per cent in light of current data and to approximately 8–10 per cent in girls aged 13–17 before the growth stabilises.