There are often barriers to obtaining an ADHD diagnosis, accessing care and getting the right treatment.1
In Europe, an adult patient has on average 2.7 visits to a specialist to receive a diagnosis over a period of 20.4 months.2 In some European countries, such as France and Italy, services for adults with ADHD are limited to those who have been diagnosed as children before turning 18.3
Untreated ADHD also has wide-ranging, serious economic implications through loss of earnings and productivity, for both the individual and the state. People with ADHD are likely to have lower salaries, lower tax contributions and greater reliance on social assistance. Criminal justice systems also face additional costs as many incarcerated individuals have an ADHD diagnosis.4
ADHD can have a serious impact on educational attainment and professional life, leading to low levels of educational attainment, frequent school drop-outs, sub-optimal outcomes in the workplace, difficulties in finding stable employment and regular unemployment.5
Many people with undiagnosed ADHD will likely be in the health system already but are being treated
for a different comorbidity.6 In addition to psychiatric comorbidities, people with ADHD are more likely to present with health issues such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, psoriasis, and immune and metabolic disorders.7
In Europe, an adult patient has on average 2.7 visits to a specialist to receive a diagnosis over a period of 20.4 months.8
A Dutch study showed the annual costs of ADHD to the state could range from €10.41 million to €15.29 million, of which 42-62% was in education and 8-25% in healthcare.9
People with ADHD are likely to have lower salaries, lower tax contributions and greater reliance on social assistance. An estimate on the cost of ADHD in Europe cited the annual cost in productivity loss as €762 – €1,798 per patient.10
A UK study from 2018 demonstrating an increment of at least £590 extra spend per year for a prisoner with ADHD compared to one without, amounting to an estimated £11.7 million per annum in costs.11
Read our ‘Attention on ADHD’ report, which uses a new budget impact analysis model commissioned by Takeda to show the cost of untreated ADHD and the value of increasing treatment rates to realise healthcare and social savings.
Download our infographic, which summarises the key findings from the report.
Listen to people from Germany, Spain and the UK tell their stories of how their experiences with ADHD has impacted their lives
1. Shire “Your Attention Please”.
2. Caci, H., et al (2014). Daily life impairments associated with self-reported childhood/adolescent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and experience of diagnosis and treatment: results from the European Lifetime Impairment Survey. Eur Psychiatry; 29(5): 316–23.
3. ADHD Europe (2020). Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD in Europe. Available at: <https://adhdeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Survey-2020-FINAL.pdf> [Accessed January 2023].
4. Young S, Moss D, Sedgwick O, Fridman M, Hodgkins P. (2015). A meta-analysis of the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in incarcerated populations. Psychol Med. 45:247–58.
5. Faraone, S. et al (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 128:789-818
6. Kessler RC, Adler L, Barkley R, et al. The prevalence and correlates of adult ADHD in the United States: results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Am J Psychiatry. 2006;163(4):716-23.
7. Faraone, S. et al (2021). The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 128:789-818
8. Caci, H., et al (2014). Daily life impairments associated with self-reported childhood/adolescent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and experience of diagnosis and treatment: results from the European Lifetime Impairment Survey. Eur Psychiatry; 29(5): 316–23.
9. Le, H., et al (2014). Economic impact of childhood/adolescent ADHD in a European setting: the Netherlands as a reference case. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry; 23(7): 587–98.
10. Young, S., et al (2013). ADHD: making the invisible visible. An Expert White Paper on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): policy solutions to address the societal impact, costs and long-term outcomes, in support of affected individuals. Available at: <http://www.russellbarkley.org/factsheets/ADHD_MakingTheInvisibleVisible.pdf> [Accessed January 2023].
11. Young, S., et al (2018b). The economic consequences of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in the Scottish prison system. BMC Psychiatry 18, 210.
