Australia has seen a surge in ADHD diagnoses, this exponential rate causing divide among healthcare professionals. While some believe that this is a result of better awareness of the neurological disorder, encouraging more Australians to seek help, others believe that the condition has become somewhat of a ‘fad.’ 

The training of 65 WA GPs in independently diagnosing and prescribing stimulant medication to patients aged ten and older, will begin at the end of October, despite dissent among Western Australians worried this will allow for the mis- or over- diagnosing of the neurodevelopmental disorder.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners representative for the WA ADHD Working Group (comprised of RACGP WA, WAPHA, ADHD WA), Sean Stevens said the GPs in the program will be trained under psychiatrists and paediatricians, so the proper procedure to diagnose will be carried through to the GP diagnostic process. 

“We will be monitoring [over-diagnosing] quite closely,” Dr Stevens explained, “I think it’s a very important question, ‘why the increase in ADHD?’ It needs some detailed studies to look into why this is the case.”

He noted that Queensland GPs have been able to diagnose ADHD from the age of four since 2017, and there has been no indication of an abnormal increase in ADHD diagnoses compared to other states.

“Some people say there’s underdiagnoses, some say there’s overdiagnoses. I think you need to have a proper, robust process for assessing the individual as they present and manage that accordingly. Everybody is different.

“[Nothing] has been proven as to why the increase in ADHD, but awareness is certainly a part of it.” 

Social media has caused a heightened awareness of ADHD in recent years, educating users on the symptoms and encouraging those who identify to seek out a diagnosis.

In her article ‘No, You Don’t Have ADHD, and Here Are 5 Reasons Why’ Elizabeth Ellis explained she believes the growing rate of ADHD diagnoses worldwide is due to social media turning the diagnoses into an online trend.

Dr Ellis’ detailed that because ADHD is caused by neurological dysfunction present from birth, people cannot simply ‘get’ ADHD and “part of the diagnosis is the fact that the symptoms are evident in childhood.” 

She explained that just because people may present some of the usual symptoms or respond positively to ADHD medication, does not mean they have the disorder. “They may have had, at most, subclinical problems that did not rise to the level of warranting a diagnosis, but half the population does.”

Paediatrician James Mulvany, however, states in his article ‘ADHD – The Great Overdiagnoses?’ “ADHD isn’t new. It didn’t suddenly appear in the last decade because of social media influence.” 

He believes social media platforms have played a big role in raising awareness. “Many people who missed an early diagnosis, first recognise their symptoms through relatable online content. But there is also a downside. Social media tends to simplify complex topics, and ADHD is no exception.”

Dr Mulvany wrote that the rise in ADHD is not overdiagnosis, but rather due to better awareness and access to appropriate assessments. “Thanks to better research, changing societal attitudes to mental health, and more accessible mental health care, more people are finally getting the help they need.”

The GP training program’s first cohort of participating doctors are expected to be able to diagnose and treat ADHD from early 2026.