UK Key Survey results – ADHD statistics

(Source: World Federation for Mental Health)

Impact on the child with ADHD

• 94% of parents are concerned that ADHD will threaten their child's academic success.
• 70% of parents state that their child has been excluded from social activities because of his or her behaviour.

Impact on the family

• 94% of parents often feel stressed or worried by their child's ADHD.
• 89% of parents think that family activities are disrupted by their child's behavioural problem.
• 95% of parents report early mornings and 90% report evenings to be difficult or very difficult for coping with their child's ADHD symptoms, compared with 82% reporting school time to be difficult or very difficult.

Experience of diagnosis

• The average length of time from when a parent first visited a health professional to talk about their child's behaviour, to a diagnosis by a specialist, was 2.4 years.
• 68% of parents felt the diagnosis process took too long.
• 75% of parents believe that their child's primary care physician did not seem to know much about ADHD.
• 50% of parents found it hard to get referral to a specialist physician.

Perspectives on treatment

• 80% of parents find that treatment helps to relieve pressure on the family as a whole.
• 70% of parents find that treatment helps their child interact socially.
• 97% of parents agree that children should be given the opportunity to receive ADHD medication as part of their treatment plan if that is the parents' choice.
• 89% of parents want a treatment that addresses symptoms throughout the entire day.
• Only 38% of parents felt that their child's current treatment effectively controls symptoms throughout the whole day.