Historical Analysis of Prevalence and Public Perception of ADHD in Adults Within International News Coverage

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder characterized by the inability to focus or control impulsive, hyperactive behaviour. The research manuscript investigates how the prevalence and language use of media coverage has changed in reporting ADHD among adults. Quantitative data was obtained from news articles published from the Nexis Uni database every 5-years from 2000 to 2020. The prevalence of the articles was determined by inspecting the number of publications during each respective period. The study investigated the language use of ADHD in adults by using the ADHD Descriptive Language (ADL) scale from 1 (derogatory) to 3 (respectful). Results showed an increase in the number of news articles published within each 5-year time frame: 62, 86, 119, and 161 news articles between 2000-2005, 2005-2010, 2010-2015, and 2015-2020, respectively. Language use, determined from the ADL scale, showed a relative percent increase of 4.55%, 9.38%, and 14.6% between each period, respectively. The trend observed for the descriptive language is associated with improved public perception used for the disorder in adults. Further research is necessary to raise awareness and decrease existing prejudice regarding the prevalence and language use of adult ADHD in the media.