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The Statistics of ADD

Research* shows that:

* 20 percent of ADHD children have learning disabilities and about 80 percent have academic problems.  

* Adults with ADHD are more likely to take one sick, from work, per month, than their non-ADHD peers.   

 * Using a conservative frequency rate of 5 percent, the annual societal cost of illness for ADHD is considered to be between $13,000 and 18,000 per individual.          

 * Across ten countries, it has been estimated that this condition was associated with 143.8 billion in lost revenue every day. Most of this loss was linked directly to ADHD and not co-occurring conditions such as depression or bi-polar disorder.                                                                                                                                                                                        

* Diagnosed cases of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder increased almost 4 percent every year from 2000 to 2010 making it the number one mental health concern in children.

 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:*
 
  • Parents of children with a history of ADHD report almost 3 times as many peer problems as those without a history of ADHD (21.1% vs. 7.3%).
  • Parents report that children with a history of ADHD are almost 10 times as likely to have difficulties that interfere with friendships (20.6% vs. 2.0%).
  • A higher percentage of parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder reported non-fatal injuries (4.5% vs. 2.5% for healthy children).
  • Children with ADHD, compared to children without ADHD, were more likely to have major injuries (59% vs. 49%), hospital inpatient (26% vs. 18%), hospital outpatient (41% vs. 33%), or emergency department admission (81% vs. 74%).
  • Data from international samples suggest that young people with high levels of attentional difficulties are at greater risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash, drinking and driving, and traffic violations.
  • Using a prevalence rate of 5%, the annual societal ‘‘cost of illness’’ for ADHD is estimated to be between $36 and $52 billion, in 2005 dollars.  It is estimated to be between $12,005 and $17,458 annually per individual.
  • There were an estimated 7 million ambulatory care visits for ADHD in 2006.
  • The total excess cost of ADHD in the US in 2000 was $31.6 billion.  Of this total, $1.6 billion was for the treatment of patients, $12.1 billion was for all other health care costs of persons with ADHD, $14.2 billion was for all other health care costs of family members with ADHD, and $3.7 billion was for the work loss cost of adults with ADHD and adult family members of persons with ADHD.
  • ADHD creates a significant financial burden regarding the cost of medical care and work loss for patients and family members. The annual average direct cost for each per ADHD patient was $1,574, compared to $541 among matched controls. The annual average payment (direct plus indirect cost) per family member was $2,728 for non-ADHD family members of ADHD patients versus $1,440 for family members of matched controls.
  • Across 10 countries, it was projected that ADHD was associated with 143.8 million lost days of productivity each year.  Most of this loss can be attributed to ADHD and not co-occurring conditions.
  • Workers with ADHD were more likely to have at least one sick day in the past month compared to workers without ADHD.

* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If left untreated, ADHD can lead to serious problems in a teenager.*

  • Teenagers with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Impulsive Type ADHD - have 400% more traffic accidents and traffic tickets related to speeding, than teens without ADD ADHD.
  • Twice as many teens with ADHD will run away from home than teens without ADHD. About 16% of teens run away from home at some point, versus 32% of teens untreaDD ADHD - are ten times more likely to get pregnant, or cause a pregnancy, than those without ADHD.
  • ted for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD ADHD.
  • As many as 50% of all teenagers in juvenile facilities have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder but were untreated for ADHD.
  • Arson is often associated with Attention Deficit Disorder, as teens with untreated Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD ADHD - are three times more likely to be arrested for arson than those without ADHD: 16% vs. 5%.
  • Teenagers untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - A
  • Teenagers untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD ADHD - are 400% more likely to contract a sexually transmitted disease than teens
    without ADHD: 16% to 4%.
  • Teens untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD ADHD - average two arrests by the age of 18.
  • About 20% of teens untreated for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADD ADHD - will be arrested for a felony, versus only about 3% of teens without ADHD.
 
The National Institute for Mental Health* Reports:
 
  • 4.1% of adults, in the U.S., are diagnosed with ADHD or ADD.
  • 41.3% of those adults diagnosed with ADHD or ADD, are considered to fall in the severe category.