One in nine primary school-aged boys in Finland uses ADHD medication

One in nine boys of primary school age in Finland used ADHD medication last year, according to new figures from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), reports public broadcaster Yle.

The data shows that 11 percent of primary school-aged boys were prescribed ADHD drugs in 2023, while the figure for girls of the same age was around 4 percent. The largest relative increase in medication use was seen among teenage girls and young women.

Kela notes that ADHD medication use among children in Finland is significantly more common than in neighbouring countries.