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According to the 'ADHD Diagnosis Status' received from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service by former Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Won Hee, 7,748 adults (ages 20 to 80) were diagnosed with ADHD in 2017. 11,131 people in 2018, 24,715 people in 2019, 24,716 people in 2020, 35,042 people in 2021, and 39,913 people by September 2022, showing an increasing trend every year, 5.1 times in 6 years increased. However, the figures include some cases of duplicate counting at full age.
The proportion of adults diagnosed with ADHD is also increasing. In 2017, 13.7% of the 56,281 people were adults, but by September 2022, the ratio had more than doubled to 32.5% of the 122,635 people. When looking at age-specific figures, adolescents aged 0 to 19 still receive the highest number of ADHD diagnoses each year. As of last year, 31,638 people aged 0 to 9 and 45,979 people aged 10 to 19 were diagnosed. Among adults excluding minors, those in their 20s accounted for the most at 20,168 last year. However, looking at the rate of increase, middle-aged and older people are growing the most. In particular, the number of people in their 50s increased by 5.6 times from 170 in 2017 to 954 last year. Those in their 40s were followed by a 5.5-fold increase from 686 to 3,816 over the same period. Among these, there are cases in which problems arise in relationships due to neglecting one's own illness, and symptoms of depression overlap with panic. It is often the case that you cannot hold out at one job for long, and even if you do, you are more likely to lose your job if the economy is not as good as it is now.
Many adults undergoing ADHD treatment present with symptoms from an early age, leading to late hospital visits. Professor Bang Gun-ho of Kyung Hee University Hospital's Department of Psychiatric Medicine, who published Korea's first 'adult ADHD textbook' in 2009, said, "Recently, the number of elderly female patients who have been diagnosed with ADHD has increased. As the economic power of elderly women has improved, many of them have the will to actively diagnose and solve their own problems."
There are quite a few cases in which patients receive treatment on a family-by-family basis. According to many studies, ADHD is absolutely genetically influenced. If ADHD is detected in a child, it is likely that both parents have ADHD. Lee Jung Il, director of Lee Jung Il Psychiatric Medical Clinic, said, "Recently, we often see parents and children receiving treatment together, which is an opportunity to understand each other."
2023/01/15 09:19 KST
