As a woman in my 30s who was constantly typing “ADHD” into my computer, I had something interesting happen to me in 2021. I started receiving a wave of advertisements beckoning me to get online help for ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. One was a free, one-minute assessment to find out if I had the disorder, another an offer for a digital game that could help “rewire” my brain. Yet another ad asked me if I was “delivering” but still not moving up at work.
The reason the term ADHD litters my digital life is because I am a clinical psychologist who exclusively treats patients with ADHD. I’m also a psychiatric researcher at the University of Washington School of Medicine who studies ADHD trends across the life span.
But these advertisements were a striking new trend.
The following year, in October 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a nationwide shortage of mixed amphetamine salts, a drug that is marketed as Adderall. The brand name Adderall and its generic counterparts have become one of the most common medication treatments for ADHD. Over the next several months, additional ADHD medications joined Adderall on the list of prescription drugs in short supply.
As of August 2023, the U.S. is still experiencing a shortage of several ADHD medications, with some not expected to be resolved for at least a few more months.
