Number of middle-aged women prescribed ADHD drugs rises 40% in a year

Data shows the number of middle-aged women prescribed ADHD medications has increased by 40 percent in the past year.

According to the latest data published by the NHS, a total of 427,000 people in England were prescribed medication to treat ADHD last year; This rate increased by 31 percent.

But as more people are diagnosed with ADHD later in life, some of the sharpest increases in prescription numbers may be seen in adults.

Approximately 267,000 patients 18 years of age and older were prescribed ADHD medication; this number is up 40 percent compared to 190,000 in 2024.

There was also an increase of approximately 40 percent in the female group between the ages of 55-59; Last year, 4,107 patients were prescribed ADHD medication. There were similar figures among women aged 50-54.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr. Stefan Ivantu said: Independent: “The increase in the number of middle-aged women seeking assessment reflects a long overdue recognition of the presentation of ADHD in women and a welcome reduction in stigma.”

While 59,111 boys aged 10-14 will be prescribed prescriptions in 2025, making them the largest group, large increases can be seen in women and girls of all ages.

Some 18,912 girls aged 15 to 19 were prescribed medication in 2024, but last year this figure increased by more than 5,000 patients.

Around 2.5 million people in England have ADHD, according to the NHS, but many go undiagnosed. Symptoms can occur differently between men and women.

While boys often present with “hyperactive” symptoms, women often present with complaints of inattention, anxiety and disorganization. Research has suggested that such gender-related socialization leads to a generation being overlooked in childhood, only to seek diagnosis later in adulthood.

“The sharp increase in prescriptions makes clinical quality more vital than ever,” Dr Ivantu added.

“When identifying comorbid conditions such as burnout or anxiety, we must carefully rule out physical and metabolic factors such as thyroid problems or perimenopause, which often mimic cognitive fatigue.

“While medicine can be transformative, it is rarely a standalone solution. In a world of constant technological distraction and modern life pressures, long-term health requires pairing precision medical care with lifestyle changes, technology boundaries, and healthy routines.”

But this increase in awareness comes at a time when more than 800,000 people are waiting for a referral for an ADHD assessment, according to NHS data.

Henry Shelford, chief executive of charity ADHD UK, said: Independent: “We have a huge health gap in ADHD treatment, and it is important to reduce it in a meaningful way.

“ADHD was officially recognized by the NHS for children in 2000 and for adults through Nice in 2008. So for people wondering why so many middle-aged people, including me, are coming forward for diagnosis and treatment, it’s because we didn’t have a chance of catching it when we were kids. Now we’re talking about ADHD; people are recognizing it in themselves and coming forward for help.”

Counseling psychologist and co-founder of the Chelsea Psychological Clinic, Dr. Elena Touroni said she watched many women as their children were diagnosed and recognized themselves in the statements.

“We’re seeing more and more women in their forties and fifties in the clinic because there’s finally a name for something they’ve been dealing with for years,” she said.

“Many have been compensating for decades, holding their lives together with considerable effort and intelligence. We call this masking; the conscious and unconscious effort to appear on top of things when the inner experience is quite different. It takes enormous amounts of energy to maintain and rarely occurs without anxiety.”

An NHS spokesman said: “We know we need to do more to improve care for people with ADHD, which is why the NHS has commissioned an ADHD taskforce to look at a range of issues, including trends in diagnosis and the right balance between therapeutic approaches and medication.

“In line with the taskforce’s recommendations, we are starting to reimagine local services, transforming support and reducing waiting times.”