ADHD charity criticises Channel 4 doc for calling disorder “a social construct”

An ADHD charity has hit out at a new Channel 4 documentary which called the disorder “a social construct”. The Great ADHD Myth? aired on Channel 4 on Tuesday (August 18) and followed NHS psychiatrist Max Pemberton as he spoke to medical professions who doubt whether or not ADHD is a legitimate condition. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is recognised by the NHS, and symptoms include an ability to concentrate or sit still, high energy levels, poor time management, and being more likely to get distracted, lose things or be forgetful. In the recent documentary, Pemberton explores how the last few years have seen a sharp rise in diagnoses – particularly among young children – and also conducts an experiment with a 10-year-old child with an ADHD diagnosis. With the experiment, the child is taken off his ADHD medication and goes six weeks with less sugar, reduced screen time, and yoga classes – testing whether or not symptoms of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are actually caused by social factors. After the trial period, the parents decided to keep the child off medication, before reversing the move and reintroducing the tablets after seeing his performance in school ne...