Adult stimulant prescriptions in Canada have surged more than sevenfold since January 2016, reaching 10.4 per 1,000 adults by June 2024, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The rise accelerated during the pandemic. New recipients shifted demographically: women now make up 59% of new patients - up from 48% pre-pandemic - and the 25-34 age group saw the largest growth.
Time between first ADHD-related healthcare visit and prescription shortened significantly - suggesting faster, potentially less thorough evaluations.
Prescriptions increasingly come from primary care providers and nurse practitioners - not psychiatrists - and telehealth expansion may have contributed to rapid diagnoses.
Dr. Nissa Keyashian, a California psychiatrist and author of "Practicing Stillness," noted many adult women receive late diagnoses of inattentive-type ADHD - symptoms previously overlooked in childhood.
Jonathan Alpert, NYC psychotherapist and author of "Therapy Nation," cautioned: "Not every attention problem is ADHD." He warned against pathologizing normal cognitive strain in a hyper-distracted digital world - and against using stimulants as performance enhancers.