Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is being better recognised thanks to a combination of COVID-19, social media and the gradual disappearance of the stigma, according to an advocacy group.
ADHD New Zealand board chair Darrin Bull told AM about 260,000 to 280,000 Kiwis are living with ADHD and due to a combination of factors, more and more people are being diagnosed or recognising symptoms of the condition.
With many parents teaching their kids during the lockdowns, symptoms that may have not otherwise been noticed were more likely to be picked up.
"[Parents may have] noticed learning difficulties which can be associated with ADHD," he explained.
He added TikTok and social media have played an "enormous" role in starting the conversation around the condition.
"If you go to TikTok and search ADHD, it's had 14 billion views in the last two years. A lot of people are hopping on to TikTok and recognising the symptoms and saying that's some that really impacts me, I can see this."
But Bull said recent research from Canada suggests only 50 percent of ADHD-related content on TikTok is true, while only 20 percent is useful.
He added over the past three to five years, the stigma surrounding the condition has started to fade.
"People are celebrating ADHD as it should be."
Watch the full interview above.
