A SPIKE in the number of Scots with ADHD has seen the annual cost of drugs prescribed for the condition rocket to around £13million.
The alarming figures for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were driven by an increase of almost 50 per cent among adults in the last two years — from 14,160 to 21,173.
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Data on NHS spending revealed the bill for five medicines used for ADHD soared by 40 per centCredit: Getty
Drugs used to treat it, such as Ritalin, were prescribed to 25,904 people in 2022/23.
But that jumped by a third to 34,440 in 2024/25.
Separate Public Health Scotland data on NHS spending revealed the bill for five medicines used for ADHD soared by 40 per cent from £9.1million in 2021/22, to £12.8million in 2023/24, as dispensed items leapt from 206,548 to 288,143.
Experts warn the rise in sufferers and costs is making it harder for our crisis-hit health service to deliver safe care.
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The stats emerged two weeks after we revealed devolved benefits handouts for Scots with ADHD are set to hit £100million only three years after the payments were introduced.
Dr Pavan Srireddy, vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: “The impact on mental health services has been immense.
“Teams that were already stretched are struggling to meet demand, leading to lengthy waiting lists.
“This growing pressure is compromising the ability of services to deliver safe, timely and effective care.”
And Dr Srireddy warned: “The current situation is neither sustainable nor safe.”
But many medics fear the problems will only get worse because they reckon the condition is actually underdiagnosed.
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Symptoms include being easily distracted, forgetful, having difficulty following instructions, losing personal items often, being impulsive, restless and making quick decisions without considering consequences.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and other experts believe the huge increases may be being driven, in part, by awareness of ADHD being raised on social media sites such as TikTok.
But there are also fears of misinformation being spread online about the condition.
One study identified that more than half of the info on TikTok relating to ADHD was inaccurate.
Geraldine Mynors, co-founder of the Scottish ADHD Coalition, said: “A large number of adults have never been diagnosed, or were diagnosed as children but fell out of the system as teenagers.
“Therefore, there has been a big unmet need for help.
“Studies show that perhaps 1.5 per cent to three per cent of the population have it — and we are still very far short of this in terms of adults in treatment.”
Concerns have also been raised about shortages of drugs, especially for children with severe cases.
We previously told how ADHD benefit claimants on a standard rate for Adult Disability Payment get almost £4,000 a year.
They don’t need a formal diagnosis of having the condition in order to get approval for payouts.
But they must have supporting information from medical specialists.
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Some legal firms are even offering sufferers “no win, no fee” services to help them with claims.
The Donaldson Trust charity said: “A national approach to collecting and publishing ADHD assessment data is essential to identify service gaps and improve outcomes.”