Use of ADHD medicines in Netherlands quadrupled since 2006

The number of Netherlands residents prescribed ADHD medication has almost quadrupled since the early 2000s. In 2023, nearly 300,000 people were prescribed medicine like ritalin or concerta, compared to 78,000 in 2006, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Monday.

The number of adult women using ADHD meds increased, in particular. Among children, boys are still more likely to use ADHD medication than girls, indicating that girls often still have to wait until adulthood before getting diagnosed.

ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. For decades, the symptoms doctors looked out for were things like having trouble focusing, being hyperactive, or exhibiting impulsive behavior. But in recent years, it became apparent that ADHD presents differently in girls and women. As a result, young girls are often less likely to be diagnosed.

In 2023, 170,000 adult men and 130,000 adult women were prescribed ADHD medication, accounting for over 1.5 percent of the Dutch population, up from 0.5 percent in 2006. The number of women using ADHD meds increased almost sixfold. The number of men more than doubled. “As a result, the differences between men and women have narrowed,” CBS said.

Up to the age of 20, there are still significantly more boys on ADHD meds than girls. In 2023, the difference between boys (7.3 percent) and girls (3.0 percent) was the greatest in the age group 10 to 15 years old.

The proportion of people using ADHD medication is lowest in the higher-income groups. In the highest income quintile, 1.5 percent of people used these meds in 2023, compared to 1.8 percent in the lowest income quintile.

People who were born in the Netherlands to parents also born in the Netherlands were almost 1.5 times more likely to use ADHD meds (2.5 percent) than people whose parents immigrated to the Nehterlands (1.7 percent) and almost 3.5 times more likely than people who were born abroad (0.7 percent).