In the context of the Data Analysis and Real World Interrogation Network (DARWIN EU®), researchers in the DARWIN EU® Coordination Centre analysed electronic health records from five European countries: Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK; covering more than 198,000 people between 2010 and 2023. ADHD medication use increased in all countries during the study period, with overall prevalence more than tripling in the UK and more than doubling in the Netherlands.
'We observed a consistent increase in ADHD medication use across Europe, but the most striking changes were among adults, especially women,' said Xintong Li, lead author of the study from the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS). 'These findings likely reflect growing awareness and diagnosis of adult ADHD, but they also raise important questions about long-term treatment patterns and care needs.'
The most pronounced increases were seen among adults aged 25 and over. In the UK, ADHD medication use in this age group rose more than twenty-fold in women and fifteen-fold in men. Although males remained more likely to receive ADHD medication overall, the difference between sexes narrowed steadily over time.