ADHD Norfolk

25/08/2026

20/08/2026

UKAAN United Kingdom adult adhd network. In response to C4 sensationalist programme.

Is ADHD a myth?

Professor Philip Asherson on behalf of UKAAN, 19th August 2026

The idea that ADHD can be dismissed as a myth or social construct has been around for decades. The NICE 2008 guidelines for example included an entire chapter on this topic, the only condition NICE has done this for before or since. So, controversy has always followed this condition.

There are wonderful publications summarising all the data that is established on ADHD, showing it to be a good predictor of impairment, genetic and environmental risks, functional brain differences and predictable treatment effects. It is important to identify ADHD, as there are effective evidence-based treatments which make a positive difference to people's lives. Hence consistent recommendations from NICE and other guideline groups around the world.

Heritability is around 70-80% which confirms the reliability of the measures used and the importance of genetic influences. Interplay between genes and environment is expected but identifying modifiable environmental risks has not proven straightforward.

It is associated with important negative outcomes including increased risk of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, accidents, deaths from accidents and su***de, poor educational outcomes, smoking and obesity - among many others. It is strongly associated with emotional dysregulation and sleep problems. Medication effects on core symptoms are well established. reducing the severity and impact of ADHD symptoms.

Any outstanding controversy appears to stem from the quantitative nature of ADHD symptoms in the general population. Research has clearly demonstrated that ADHD (the clinical disorder) reflects the extreme of ADHD traits in the entire population - like hypertension and obesity. So many people experience some level of ADHD symptoms but do not meet clinical criteria. Around 80% of adults report very few ADHD symptoms, around 5% report four or more symptoms and 2.5% meet criteria for the clinical disorder.

The clinical disorder includes not only a cluster of symptoms but also persistence over time and across different situations and, importantly, significant impairment from the symptoms. Impairment should be at a level that most people would agree requires medical, educational or psychological interventions to prevent both immediate and long-term harms.

It’s true diagnosis rates have shot up in recent years but from a very low level. For years ADHD went undiagnosed or mis-diagnosed for other conditions.

If ADHD is a myth, it’s a reliably identifiable, heritable and treatable myth.

Resources for further reading in relation to Channel 4's "The Great ADHD Myth?":


Science Media Centre expert reactions to the programme

Royal College of Psychiatrists statement

RCPsych blog from 19th August

20/08/2026

The chief executive of ADHD UK is urging people to complain to Ofcom about a controversial new Channel 4 documentary, branding it "sensationalist nonsense".

The charity's chief executive, Henry Shelford, says he expects more than 10,000 members to register their dismay with the regulator over the new programme, The Great ADHD Myth?

Presented by NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton, the show explores arguments that ADHD is a "social construct" rather than a true medical condition.

During the broadcast, Dr Pemberton suggests that schools should adapt to better support children rather than medicating them to fit in.

The programme features child psychiatrist Dr Sami Timimi, who compares ADHD medication to hitting children with a cane.

"One of the things you could argue, on a sociological level, is that we’ve replaced corporal punishment with a new way of disciplining kids - giving them a pill," he said.

But Shelford has condemned the documentary as "one-sided", arguing it ignores the reality that ADHD is officially recognised by the World Health Organization, the NHS, and NICE.

He told the Mirror that the show is giving out medical misinformation and is extraordinarily invalidating of a lifelong condition.

“I wish Channel 4 had done what they did for the menopause with Davina McCall, or for dyslexia with Jamie Oliver,” he said. “They did shows which were trying to demolish the myths, whereas this show is trying to exacerbate myths.

“We wouldn’t have The Menopause Myth or The Dyslexia Myth or The Migraine Myth, so why this?"

The documentary attempts an experiment by taking a 10-year-old boy named Mason off his medication for six weeks, replacing it with yoga, forest walks, and less screen time.

Yet Shelford says he nearly fell off his chair when epilogue text at the end of the show admitted the child actually struggled in school and needed the medication after all.

"If this was science-led that would have been the story - but it isn’t, because this isn’t science," he said.

Dr Pemberton says he made the film because of the explosion in ADHD diagnoses.

"What the film asks is whether ADHD is really the best explanation for that struggle," he said.

But Shelford warns that undermining the condition only makes life tougher for those living with it, pointing to recent research from Ireland suggesting 20% of people with ADHD attempt su***de at some point in their lives.

“When a national broadcaster invites millions to file all of this under “myth”, people cancel assessments, parents doubt their children, employers doubt their staff, and lives are put at risk," he said.

ADHD UK is now preparing a questionnaire and form on its website to help people file complaints directly to Ofcom.

08/08/2026

3 spaces left at Monday’s Lego session and the bring a friend for free offer is still on!

More than Lego, the session is a collaborative, play-based social skills intervention designed to develop communication, teamwork, and problem-solving 💛