More ADHD Diagnoses Among Children and Adolescents in Saxony

An increasing number of children and adolescents in Saxony are being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The number of new diagnoses rose by 7 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the latest Children and Youth Report from the health insurance provider DAK-Gesundheit. According to DAK’s projections, approximately 6,400 young people were newly diagnosed with ADHD. Saxony’s rate is below the nationwide increase of 16 percent. 

Charlotte Ballauf, a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy at Dresden Municipal Hospital, suspects that the rise in diagnoses is linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. She suggests that during this time, symptoms may have become less apparent due to homeschooling, leading to delayed diagnoses that are now being made up for. 

3.5 percent of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD

According to the DAK, ADHD is one of the most common mental health disorders in childhood. Typical characteristics include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The data show that 3.5 percent of children and adolescents in Saxony between the ages of 3 and 17 are receiving medical care for a diagnosis of ADHD. This means the diagnosis is less common than the national average (5.2 percent)

According to the report, more than twice as many boys (4,700) as girls (1,600) received a new diagnosis. However, the year-over-year increase was higher among girls (11 percent) than among boys (6 percent).

Expert Notes Diagnostic Gap for Girls

According to Ballauf, there is a diagnostic gap for girls. She said she was pleased that this gap is increasingly being closed. “In our ward, we’re currently still seeing some adolescent girls whose ADHD was overlooked as early as elementary school and who are now struggling with exhaustion, psychosomatic symptoms, or school absenteeism—consequences that might have been avoidable with an earlier diagnosis.” The gaps in diagnosis and care must continue to be closed.

For the latest DAK special analysis as part of the Children and Youth Report, a research team from the consulting and data analysis firm Vandage and the University of Bielefeld examined claims data from approximately 19,100 children and adolescents up to and including age 17 who are insured by DAK-Gesundheit in Saxony.