Who is more likely to suffer from ADHD?
Asked by: Prof. Rosetta Carroll V | Last update: September 7, 2025Score: 4.3/5 (38 votes)
Boys (15%) were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (8%). Black children and White children were more often diagnosed with ADHD (both 12%) than Asian children (4%). American Indian/Alaska Native children (10%) were also more often diagnosed with ADHD than Asian children.
Who is most likely to have ADHD?
During 2020–2022, 11.3% of children ages 5–17 years had ever been diagnosed with ADHD (Figure 1, Table 1). Boys (14.5%) were more likely than girls (8.0%) to have ADHD, and this pattern was seen for children ages 5–11 years and 12–17 years.
Who is at high risk for ADHD?
Groups at risk
Certain people are also believed to be more at risk of ADHD, including people: who were born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy) or with a low birthweight. with epilepsy. with brain damage – which happened either in the womb or after a severe head injury later in life.
Who gets ADHD more?
Among children, boys are more than twice as likely to have an ADHD diagnosis as girls (13% of boys have ADHD versus 6% of girls). The gender gap narrows a bit in adulthood when 5.4% of men are diagnosed with ADHD versus 3.2% of women. Women tend to be older when they're diagnosed.
What race is ADHD most common in?
A meta-analysis published online in JAMA Psychiatry in September found that Black individuals are at higher risk of ADHD diagnosis than the general population, a finding that “challenges generally accepted statements that Black individuals have a lower prevalence of ADHD compared with others,” the authors note.
ADHD diagnoses on the rise in adults, here are the symptoms
Who is most likely to inherit ADHD?
The genes you inherit from your parents can significantly affect your risk of developing ADHD. Those with ADHD parents, siblings, or close relatives who have it are more likely to have ADHD as well.
What are 3 risk factors for ADHD?
- Genetics1.
- Exposure to environmental risks (for example, lead) during pregnancy or at a young age2.
- Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy3 and other pregnancy-related factors4.
- Child health conditions, including head injuries5.
- Parental mental health6 and family environment7.
Is ADHD a form of autism?
Autism spectrum disorder and ADHD are related in several ways. ADHD is not on the autism spectrum, but they have some of the same symptoms. And having one of these conditions increases the chances of having the other. Experts have changed the way they think about how autism and ADHD are related.
Does trauma cause ADHD?
Studies have found that trauma occurring in childhood may exacerbate or predict some ADHD symptoms. Traumatic events, such as experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect, can not only result in children behaving in ways that imitate ADHD, but these symptoms can develop well into adulthood as well.
Why is ADHD so common now?
The pandemic played a role. Increased mental health concerns (especially stress, anxiety and depression) were reported by youth, parents and teachers. These mental health concerns led to more diagnostic evaluations which, in turn, led to increased ADHD diagnoses. (Without an evaluation, there is no diagnosis.)
Who has the highest rate of ADHD in the world?
The highest rates emerged from Africa (8.5%) and South America (11.8%). Corroboration comes from a dimensional ADHD scale used in 21 countries. Japanese and Finnish children scored lowest, Jamaican and Thai children scored highest, and American children scored about average (7).
Which famous people have ADHD?
Scott Kelly (astronaut), Will Smith (Actor), Britney Spears (Musician), Justin Timberlake (Musician), Lily Allen (Actress), Jordan Stephens (Performer), Louis Smith (Olympic Gymnast), Heston Blumenthal (Chef), Lee Mack (Comedian), Mark Ruffalo (Actor), Ben Whittaker (Boxer & Olympian), Winston Churchill (Politician and ...
Who most commonly gets ADHD?
Boys (15%) were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls (8%). Black children and White children were more often diagnosed with ADHD (both 12%) than Asian children (4%). American Indian/Alaska Native children (10%) were also more often diagnosed with ADHD than Asian children.
Can ADHD skip a generation?
Many kids who have a parent with ADHD don't develop ADHD themselves. And kids can have ADHD without having any family risk. Other non-genetic factors can be involved. Knowing that ADHD is genetic can be helpful in many ways.
Is ADHD overdiagnosed?
ADHD is not overdiagnosed, but it may be often misdiagnosed. Sometimes people think ADHD is overdiagnosed because diagnoses have increased over time. It could be true that some diagnosed people do not really have ADHD.
Are you born with ADHD?
Most experts agree that the tendency to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is present from birth. Yet, ADHD behaviors are often not noticed until children enter elementary school.
Is ADHD a form of mental illness?
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder category introduced into the third edition of the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published in 1980 (1)1.
Is bipolar a form of autism?
Bipolar disorder and ASD are distinct diagnoses. However, there are some ways in which the two conditions can look similar, and it is perfectly possible to be diagnosed as autistic and with bipolar disorder.
What is the root cause of ADHD?
There is no single cause of ADHD and the risk factors that have been identified so far appear to be non-specific. That is, risks such as chromosomal microdeletions (eg, VCFS), large, rare CNVs, extreme low birth weight and prematurity appear to affect a range of different neurodevelopmental and psychiatric phenotypes.
Is ADHD inherited from mother or father?
The intergenerational recurrence risks of ADHD were high and higher from mothers with ADHD than fathers with ADHD. Other parental psychiatric disorders also conferred increased risk of offspring ADHD, but far lower, indicating a sex‐ and diagnosis‐specific intergenerational recurrence risk in parents with ADHD.
At what age is ADHD usually diagnosed?
While most doctors won't diagnose a child with ADHD until at least age 4, some kids may show symptoms before then. Most ADHD symptoms look a lot like typical toddler behavior. But there are a couple of potential signs that your young child might have ADHD: They often get into trouble at preschool or day care.
Is ADHD curable?
Treatment. Standard treatments for ADHD in adults typically involve medication, education, skills training and psychological counseling. A combination of these is often the most effective treatment. These treatments can help manage many symptoms of ADHD , but they don't cure it.
Is ADHD a spectrum?
Experts now consider ADHD to be on a spectrum, as each person can experience varying levels of symptom severity. There are also different types of ADHD, which cause different types of symptoms. When diagnosing ADHD, a doctor will use set criteria to determine the type and severity of ADHD.
Is ADHD genetic or trauma?
More than 20 genetic studies have shown evidence that ADHD is strongly inherited. Yet ADHD is a complex disorder, which is the result of multiple genetic interactions. Previously, scientists believed that maternal stress and smoking during pregnancy could increase the risk of a child developing ADHD.