Two independent analyses published and reported in late 2025 and January 2026 have converged on the same message: ADHD medication use is climbing fast, and adults—particularly women—account for much of the growth. A European observational study led from the DARWIN EU Coordination Centre and reported by researchers at the University of Oxford examined electronic health records from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK for 2010–2023 and found large increases in prescribing. Separately, an Ontario population analysis of health administrative data covering 2015–2023 reported a 157% increase in stimulant prescriptions, with the steepest rise among adult women. Both studies drew on routine, "real-world" records rather than small clinical samples, giving a picture of changing treatment at population scale.
What the numbers show
The European analysis covered more than 198,000 people in linked health records and reported that overall ADHD medication prevalence more than tripled in the UK and more than doubled in the Netherlands between 2010 and 2023. The largest proportional increases were seen in adults aged 25 and older: in the UK cohort, medication use rose by more than twenty-fold for women in that age group and by about fifteen-fold for men.
In Canada, investigators working with Ontario's population data reported that annual prescription rates rose from roughly 275 to 708 per 100,000 people between 2015 and 2023, a 157% jump overall. The Ontario paper highlighted that women aged 18–44 experienced the fastest increase in new prescriptions — more than double the rise observed in men of the same age bracket — and that adults aged 45–64 also showed notable growth in first-time prescriptions in 2023.
Which medicines are involved, and how long do people stay on them?
Across the European dataset methylphenidate remained the most commonly prescribed ADHD medication. Newer agents such as lisdexamfetamine and the non-stimulant guanfacine showed steady uptake after market approvals. The Ontario study focused on stimulants (amphetamines and methylphenidate formulations) and their dispensing patterns.
Both research efforts emphasised that treatment continuation after initiation is variable and often low: many people start medication but stop within months, with variation between countries and health systems. That pattern raises questions about how and why treatment is discontinued — whether for side effects, lack of benefit, access barriers, or because a short course of medication was the clinical choice.
Why women, and why adults?
The COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid expansion of virtual care are also cited as possible accelerants: remote consultations broadened access to primary and specialist assessment in some settings, and pandemic-related social and workplace changes may have unmasked functional difficulties that led people to seek assessment in adulthood. Finally, the arrival and marketing of new formulations and clearer adult licensing for some drugs have widened therapeutic options.
Concerns: misdiagnosis, safety and supply
Rising prescriptions bring benefits for many patients — untreated ADHD in adults is associated with reduced occupational and educational attainment, relationship strain and comorbid mental-health conditions — yet the papers emphasise risks that accompany rapid growth in prescribing. Clinicians and researchers warn about the potential for misdiagnosis or overdiagnosis if assessments are cursory, particularly when diagnostic pathways rely heavily on self-report or single telehealth encounters.
Policy and practice implications
Both research teams framed their findings as a signal for health systems to adapt. That includes: ensuring adequate diagnostic capacity (mental-health and neurodevelopmental specialists, or well-trained primary care pathways), embedding monitoring and follow-up into prescribing routines, and strengthening supply-chain resilience for commonly used agents. Where treatment is started, clinicians should plan for longitudinal care rather than episodic prescriptions: monitoring response, side effects and functional outcomes, and offering psychosocial and behavioural interventions alongside or instead of medication when appropriate.
The studies also underline an information gap: we still lack large, long-term comparative effectiveness data for adult treatment strategies across diverse health systems. That gap complicates policy choices around who should receive medication, for how long, and under what monitoring regime.
What remains uncertain
Key unknowns persist. The population datasets can document prescribing patterns but cannot always explain clinical reasoning at the individual level: were more people correctly diagnosed after many years of symptoms, or did diagnostic thresholds shift? How much did virtual assessment contribute versus in‑person care? And what are the long-term outcomes for the new cohorts of adults now entering treatment — in work, mental health and physical health?
Answering those questions will require linked research that combines prescribing records with clinical notes, validated diagnostic assessments, and longitudinal outcome measures. Randomised trials and large observational comparative studies focused specifically on adult populations — and stratified by sex — would help to determine which treatment strategies produce durable benefit with acceptable risk.
Where this leaves patients and clinicians
For clinicians, the message is pragmatic: recognise the likelihood of encountering more adult patients seeking assessment for ADHD, be prepared to apply validated diagnostic assessments, discuss non-pharmacological treatments, and set up monitoring plans when prescribing. For patients and the public, the recent analyses suggest both progress — better recognition of a disabling condition in previously overlooked groups — and a need for cautious, informed care.
Policymakers should view the trends as a planning signal. Rapid increases in treatment prevalence change demand for specialist services, training needs in primary care, and the logistics of medication supply. Thoughtful implementation of clinical guidance, and investment in outcome-focused research, would help ensure that the observed surge translates into better, safer care rather than fragmented or inappropriate prescribing.
Sources
- The Lancet Regional Health - Europe (Li X et al., "Trends in use of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications among children and adults in five European countries, 2010 to 2023", 2026)
- JAMA Network Open (Ontario population study of stimulant prescriptions, 2015–2023)
- University of Oxford — Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences; DARWIN EU Coordination Centre
- SickKids, North York General Hospital and ICES (Ontario administrative data research)
