The Great ADHD Myth? review examines diagnosis and treatment debates
A documentary presented by NHS psychiatrist Max Pemberton questions ADHD’s status as a medical condition, its treatments and the interests surrounding rising diagnoses.
The Great ADHD Myth?, presented by NHS psychiatrist Max Pemberton, examines whether ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder or a label used to suppress behaviours regarded as unacceptable.
The documentary also questions the use of amphetamines in treatment and asks who benefits from increased diagnoses. Contributors include Dr Iona Heath, a former president of the Royal College of General Practitioners; a neurophysiological psychologist; former Royal College of Psychiatrists president; and consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Sami Timimi.
The programme presents sceptical views about ADHD from the outset. It states that about 2.5 million people in the UK are affected by the condition and that referrals for diagnosis increased by 200% over the past five years.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What evidence does the documentary present for distinguishing ADHD as a neurodevelopmental disorder from a behavioural label?
How might the programme’s contributors’ professional positions shape their views on ADHD diagnosis and treatment?
What conditions or experiences are not represented in the documentary’s account of rising diagnoses?
How could changes in diagnosis affect people who rely on ADHD assessment or treatment?
What would the consequences be if the documentary’s central claims were wrong?
YOUR QUESTION
Does this story leave you with another question?
Send us the question the report did not answer. It may become the next question IAQ investigates.
GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026