Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: exploring the economic case

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 5% of children and a slightly smaller proportion of adults. It can have serious impacts on school, work, and daily life.

Recently, NHS services have seen a sharp rise in referrals and in the use of medication for treating ADHD. However, many current services are struggling to meet demand. In response, NHS England created an ADHD Taskforce to explore how care could be improved. As part of this work, the Department of Health and Social Care asked researchers in the NIHR Policy Innovation and Evaluation Policy Research Unit (PIRU) to review the economic evidence for different ways of supporting people with ADHD.

We will review available economic evidence on services, therapies and other interventions or service models that support people with ADHD and their families or carers. The goal is to understand which types of support offer the best outcomes for the resources used, and whether they represent good value for money. The review will consider a broad range of interventions, including medication, parent-training programmes, school support, and digital tools.

• We will carry out a rapid review of the best available evidence on whether these interventions are effective and cost-effective. We will also look to see if they are relevant in the UK context. Where needed, we will update cost estimates to reflect current price levels and assess how well these services could work in England. We will also carry out new, simple economic analyses if strong evidence on outcomes exists, but cost-effectiveness has not been explored.

• We will work with experts, service providers, people with ADHD, and carers to check that the evidence we use is relevant and meaningful. We will also consider wider impacts such as school performance, job opportunities, and family wellbeing, not just health service costs.