The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Are more people getting ADHD — or are we just catching more cases?

It’s not just for kids anymore.

For many of us who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — better known as ADHD — seemed like a condition for kids.

But that perception is changing: Of the more than 15 million adults in America diagnosed with ADHD, about half of them got that diagnosis in adulthood. Laura Knouse, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor at University of Richmond, says that the condition can be a challenge to diagnose, leading to delays.

“If we think about the core features of ADHD, it’s characterized by age-inappropriate and impairing inattention and it can occur by itself or with hyperactivity impulsivity,” she said. “What we know about these kinds of symptoms is that they can be because of ADHD, but they could be the result of so many other mental health conditions or other kinds of lifestyle factors.”

How did we get to our current understanding of ADHD? And why has there been an uptick in diagnoses? Knouse answers these and other questions in the latest episode of Explain It to Me, Vox’s weekly call-in podcast.

Below is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. If you’d like to submit a question, send an email to askvox@vox.com or call 1-800-618-8545.

Historically, when did we first hear about ADHD?

The traits we associate with ADHD probably have existed in humans as long as they have been humans. But in terms of the medical literature, we can rewind the clock all the way back to 1775. A German........

© Vox