The Overdiagnosis and Misdiagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is among the most common childhood psychiatric disorders and is characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attentional problems that cause significant distress and functional impairment (American Psychiatric Association, 2025). ADHD is classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder, with symptoms onsetting before the age of 12, and has a median onset of six-years-old (National Institute of Mental Health, n.d.). Between 1997 and 2016, the prevalence of diagnosed ADHD increased from 6% to over 10% in the United States, with some recent studies estimating a 15.5% prevalence among North American school-aged children (Mackie et al., 2025; Gascon et al., 2021). This increase has sparked controversy among clinicians about whether the disorder has become more prevalent, or is being commonly overdiagnosed (Kazda et al., 2019). Since ADHD is both a common psychiatric disorder and a prevalent comorbid diagnosis, many clinicians and public health figures argue that its increase is due to advancements in diagnostic understanding (Gascon et al., 2021). Conversely, studies have found that 87% of child and adolescent ADHD diagnoses are reported as mild or moderate, leading other clinicians to believe that these cases represent widespread overdiagnosis (Kazda et al., 2019).