ADHD in the News 2026-05-21
Approaching Adult ADHD Diagnosis and Management
David Goodman, MD, shared clinical insights from his APA presentation on adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) alongside colleague Jim McGough, MD, of UCLA.
Antidepressant use in pregnancy shows no clear autism or ADHD link
Current evidence does not support a causal link between the use of almost all antidepressants during pregnancy and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in children, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.
More Kids Seeking Anxiety Help at Routine Doctor Visits, Study Finds
[EXCERPT] Researchers reviewed insurance claims for children ages 1 to 18 and found visits involving a mental health diagnosis rose from about 6 visits per 100 children to nearly 10 per 100 over the study period. While anxiety showed the sharpest increase, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, remained the most common condition addressed during visits.
New study reveals best dosage for ADHD medications
Researchers have identified the best dosage for each ADHD medication using data from thousands of people with the condition. A new study published today [14 May] in the Lancet Psychiatry provides the most comprehensive view of dosage effects for five commonly used medications for ADHD. To help patients and clinicians choose the right dosage, the international research team led by Professor Samuele Cortese from the University of Southampton has also developed a free online tool based on the findings.
New Research: Undiagnosed ADHD Linked to High-Risk Driving in Adults After Traffic Accidents
San Francisco — New research presented today at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting finds that a substantial proportion of adults hospitalized after traffic accidents may have undiagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which has been associated with significantly riskier driving behaviors. In a cross-sectional study of 95 adults hospitalized for traffic-related injuries in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 34.7% of participants screened positive for ADHD despite no prior diagnosis. Those who screened positive were more likely to engage in dangerous driving behaviors, with 66.6% falling into a high-risk driving category, compared with 30.6% of those without ADHD symptoms.
Why ADHD May Not Always Look the Way Clinicians Expect
Key points: ADHD questionnaires can miss difficulties when symptoms are shaped by cultural context. External structure may mask ADHD until major life transitions overwhelm coping strategies. Clinical assessment requires interpretation, not just scoring symptom checklists.
After the COVID‑19 pandemic, thousands more kindergarteners faced developmental challenges
[EXCERPT] Our team at the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University produced a report that provided a comprehensive description of the status of inequities in early childhood development in Canada for children with special needs, both before and after the onset of the pandemic. The Public Health Agency of Canada commissioned the report.
Which Time Management Strategies Work Best for You?
Key points: Time management is an executive function of the brain. Time management struggles are common for people with ADHD, even those who have some time management strengths. Keeping a "menu" of time management strategies can help, in case one stops being effective.
Sleep Disturbance Linked to Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome in Adolescents
Key point: Symptoms of cognitive disengagement syndrome in early youths predicted sleep impairment across adolescents-, caregiver-, and teacher-reported assessments, underscoring the need for more research into the association between cognitive disengagement syndrome and sleep outcomes in youths.
Psychology professor calls for more thorough diagnostic assessments for ADHD
An increasing number of people are being diagnosed with ADHD, without researchers knowing exactly why. Greater awareness of ADHD and changes in diagnostic criteria may be one reason. Some people are probably misdiagnosed, while others remain underdiagnosed, according to an expert in the field. Merete Glenne Øie is a professor of psychology at the University of Oslo and has been researching and working clinically with ADHD for over thirty years. She is calling for more thorough diagnostic assessments and a stronger focus on non medication interventions for people with ADHD. Medication should not, in her view, be the only solution.
Health Rounds: Common ADHD medicines help treat cancer-related fatigue
[EXCERPT] Cancer-related fatigue, one of the most common and hard-to-treat side effects of the disease and its treatments, can be eased by drugs widely prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a new analysis found. The results may be especially relevant as cancer diagnoses are on the rise among younger adults who are balancing careers and family responsibilities during treatment, the researchers said.
Advancing an Operational Definition of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for Use in Research
Background. Accurately estimating the prevalence of intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) in the United States remains a challenge, with reported rates varying widely (3%-17%) based on the definitions and data sources used. Administrative data, especially from Medicare and Medicaid claims, due to their broad population coverage and longitudinal structure, can be a valuable resource for identifying and monitoring the health of individuals with many conditions, including ID/DD. However, current tools like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW) condition flags for intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and other developmental disabilities exclude many potentially relevant diagnoses, leading to substantial variation across federal and nonfederal research in International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnosis codes included in claims-based ID/DD definitions.
Objectives. In this brief, we present findings from a descriptive analysis of Medicare and Medicaid administrative data and discussions with a multidisciplinary technical expert panel (TEP) toward informing a future update to the CCW condition flags for ID/DD.