Most general practitioners report that adult ADHD is over-diagnosed. One report says seven in ten GPs hold that view, with some doctors stating they have never seen a private provider refuse or reject an ADHD diagnosis.
Doctors interviewed in the coverage raise concerns about how diagnoses are reached, including what they describe as “superficial” assessments. They also warn that clinicians may not adequately consider other contributing factors, such as trauma or co-occurring mental health conditions, which can share symptoms with ADHD. The reporting frames these issues as reasons some GPs doubt the accuracy of at least some adult ADHD diagnoses.
The outlets’ emphasis is on variability in diagnostic practice and the potential for misattribution when assessments are incomplete. While the core claim across the coverage is that many GPs believe adult ADHD is being diagnosed too often, the specific mechanisms discussed—how assessments are conducted and whether alternative explanations are explored—form the main differences in emphasis.
