The number of children being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Finland has increased sharply over the past decade, according to figures from public health authority THL.
The increase is particularly evident among young boys.
According to THL's data, more than 11 percent of boys of primary school age (7-12) had an ADHD diagnosis in 2023, a significant difference from the proportion of just 3.3 percent in 2015.
Among their older cohorts, boys aged 13-17, the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses has gone up from 2.4 percent in 2015 to 9.5 percent in 2023.
"This is of course not the result we want to see. Let's hope that in the next few years, the number will start to decline as more attention is paid to the matter," THL Chief Physician Terhi Aalto-Setälä said.
ADHD is a condition that affects people's ability to concentrate, often making them restless and prone to acting impulsively.
According to international studies, the condition usually affects about 5–8 percent of children and adolescents.
Large regional differences within Finland
THL's figures also reveal some exceptionally large regional differences in the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses.
For example, 21.5 percent of primary school-aged boys in North Karelia now have an ADHD diagnosis. In Ostrobothnia, by comparison, the equivalent figure is just 7 percent.
North Karelia also has one of the highest diagnosis rates among primary school-age girls, at 9.2 percent. In Ostrobothnia, the share is just 2.3 percent.
"The differences are so great that, alongside correct and appropriate diagnostics, there is also some overdiagnosis and possibly even misdiagnosis," Aalto-Setälä said.
Andre Sourander, a Professor of Child Psychiatry at Turku University, argued last year that these large discrepancies in ADHD diagnoses indicate serious problems within the primary healthcare system.
Are schools demanding too much?
Aalto-Setälä noted that incorrect ADHD diagnoses can be explained by, for example, the child having too little sleep or having too much screen time — both of which can impair a child's ability to concentrate.
"Anxiety, trauma and abuse, for example, can also cause symptoms similar to those of ADHD," she said.
Aalto-Setälä further added that schools may be demanding too much of children, especially those who develop more slowly than their peers. She noted that ADHD diagnoses are more common among boys born at the end of the year, who may be almost a year younger than their classmates.
"Are the school's expectations realistic in relation to the child's skills?" she asked.
Treatment options
The use of ADHD medication has increased in line with the surge in diagnoses.
Yle reported last month that the prescribing of ADHD drugs tripled over the last five years.
In 2023, for example, nearly 46,500 children and young people were prescribed some form of ADHD medication. Of this number, 33,100 were boys.
In the regions of North Karelia and North Savo, nearly one in five boys in primary school were using ADHD medication.
Aalto-Setälä told Yle that this raises questions about whether there is an over-reliance on medication to treat the condition.
"Especially younger children should primarily be offered non-pharmacological treatment and support," she said.
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