Diagnoses have been increasing in both kids and adults. The recent government report also found adult ADHD was more common than earlier estimates had suggested.

儿童和成人的诊断都在增加。 最近的政府报告还发现，成人多动症比早期估计所表明的更为普遍。

“We haven’t had (federal) adult ADHD data in a long time,” said Angelika Claussen. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researcher was one of the study’s writers.

“很长一段时间以来，我们已经有（联邦）成人多动症数据了。” 美国疾病控制和预防中心研究人员是该研究的作家之一。

There were signs of the rise, she added. Increasing demand for ADHD medication led to severe shortages after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. A 2023 study showed the rise in prescriptions, or doctors’ orders for such medication, was notable in adults — especially among women.

她补充说，有上升的迹象。 对多动症药物的需求不断增长，导致在2020年3月共同19日大流行后严重短缺。2023年的一项研究表明，处方的增加，或者医生的这种药物命令在成年人中，尤其是女性。

ADHD diagnoses and medication were increasing before the pandemic. This is partly because of a change in general diagnostic measures in 2013. Those changes expanded the definition of ADHD and reduced the number of signs, or symptoms, required for diagnosis.

多动症诊断和药物在大流行之前正在增加。 这部分是因为2013年的一般诊断措施发生了变化。这些变化扩大了多动症的定义，并减少了诊断所需的体征数量或症状。

But cases really seemed to increase in 2020, when schools closed and many adults were forced to work from home.

但是，当学校关闭并且许多成年人被迫在家工作时，案件似乎在2020年确实有所增加。

“It’s very difficult to focus when you are home and you have kids,” Claussen said. She said such conditions may have worsened ADHD symptoms in people with less severe cases.

克劳森说：“当您回家并且有孩子时，很难集中精力。” 她说，这种情况可能会使病例较少的人恶化ADHD症状恶化。

Experts say that it was long believed that ADHD was underdiagnosed in adults. Now, experts debate about whether it has become over-diagnosed.

专家说，长期以来，人们相信ADHD在成年人中被诊断不足。 现在，专家们辩论它是否已被过度诊断。

There is no blood or brain test for the disorder. Experts say it is diagnosed when symptoms cause ongoing problems in more than one area of life, and when those symptoms began in early childhood. Experts say the best way professionals diagnose ADHD is by getting careful histories from patients and from people who know them. They also might test a patient’s memory and ability to focus.

该疾病没有血液或大脑检查。 专家说，当症状在不止一个以上的生活中以及这些症状在幼儿时期开始时，症状会导致持续的问题时，就会被诊断出来。 专家说，专业人士诊断多动症的最佳方法是从患者和认识他们的人那里仔细的历史。 他们还可能测试患者的记忆和专注能力。

But getting an appointment with a mental health professional can take months. And assessments can cost thousands of dollars. Many people turn to family doctors. People also take online diagnostic tests, some of which are linked to health companies that prescribe medications.

但是，与心理健康专业人员一起预约可能需要几个月的时间。 评估可能会花费数千美元。 许多人转向家庭医生。 人们还参加在线诊断测试，其中一些与开药的保健公司有关。

“There is a wide variability in this country in how people diagnose, how strict they are, and who they diagnose,” said Margaret Sibley. She is psychologist at University of Washington.

玛格丽特·西布利（Margaret Sibley）说：“这个国家的人们如何诊断，他们的严格程度和诊断是谁的差异。” 她是华盛顿大学的心理学家。

The American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders is preparing a set of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for American health professionals who treat adults. Sibley is leading the work on the guidelines, which the organization expects to release later this year.

美国多动症及相关疾病的美国专业学会正在为治疗成年人的美国卫生专业人员准备一套诊断和治疗指南。 Sibley正在领导该指南的工作，该组织预计将在今年晚些时候发布。