This Is Your Brain On ADHD
Dopamine, structural inequality, and hope.
ADHD is more common than ever, and nobody knows why.
In 1997–1998, 6.1% of under-18s were diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Now, 11% of Gen Z meet the same criteria. Some argue this is due to constant notifications and screen-time rotting our attention spans; others that nothing has changed beyond wider recognition. Either way, cases have nearly doubled within the past 20 years. For two-thirds of these adolescents, symptoms will persist into adulthood.
ADHD exists on a continuum, like any other aspect of mental health: some will experience intensive disruption to their lives, while others excel in their fields with a manageable ruffle. The idea that ADHD is more prevalent in men than women is a myth. The prevalence of the disorder is fairly evenly split by gender. Instead, boys are more likely to be overdiagnosed due to a combination of gender bias, and girls being twice as likely to have inattentive ADHD: which is less well-recognized or noticeable to an observer. The condition is also underdiagnosed in black children, and those without health insurance.
These structural inequalities mean sufferers who don’t fit the “hyperactive white boy” mold pass unnoticed. (It’s common for women to only receive a diagnosis of ADHD in…
