📢 Calls to Action: Make Your Voice Heard on ADHD! 📢
The ADHD Community Needs YOU!
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission is evaluating research on chronic health conditions (including ADHD) impacting American children and we need your help to ensure they consider evidence-based science! There is a movement to help advocate for everyone with ADHD — and we need YOUR VOICE!
How can you help?
Read two fabulous articles found below:
A letter to the MAHA Commission that lists all the numerous reasons ADHD medication options MUST be continued. (If you haven’t heard, there are whispers that the current administration wants to make America “healthy” by not using stimulants to treat ADHD or the medications used to treat anxiety and depression.)
Prescription in Peril about the current medication shortages and the benefits of telehealth. We’re all familiar with the hassles of finding prescriptions to manage ADHD. If you haven’t heard, there will soon be significant limits on how telehealth can be used. For now, mental health issues can be done by telehealth, but we need our representatives to know how these visits are helpful in saving time off work and school while still maintaining comprehensive care.
After your read these, there are Calls to Action to submit your testimony, join advocacy efforts, and to contact your representatives.
WE NEED YOU! Every voice matters!!!
ADDitude’s Powerful Letter to the Commission
Anni Rodgers, General Manager of ADDitude, recently sent a compelling letter to the MAHA Commission urging them to consult leading ADHD experts from APSARD, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the World Federation of ADHD. The letter highlights critical research findings:
ADHD is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition with strong genetic links.
Lifestyle factors like diet, sleep, and screen time do not cause ADHD, though they can influence symptoms.
The increase in ADHD diagnoses is due to updated DSM-5 criteria and improved recognition, especially in women.
Medications for ADHD are highly effective, improving safety and life outcomes.
Behavioral therapy, exercise, and other interventions are valuable but not standalone treatments.
There is no strong evidence supporting neurofeedback or brain training as effective ADHD treatments.
You can read the letter at the bottom of this newsletter or click the “Read the Full Letter” button to see the original source.
Prescription in Peril:
Navigating Adult ADHD, Stimulant Shortages, and the Telehealth Lifeline
We're so very proud of ADHDKC's founder, current coordinator, and current CHADD President, Jeremy Didier, for her incredible dedication and advocacy for the ADHD community! Her hard work continues to make a difference, and we’re thrilled to see her important CHADD article discussing the ongoing challenges of ADHD stimulant shortages and the critical role of telehealth for adults with ADHD.
Thank you, Jeremy, for all you do! 🌟👏
🛠️ How You Can Take Action:
Submit Your Testimony: Share your personal story or support evidence-based ADHD research by contacting:
📧 Secretary for Public Affairs Thomas Corry: Thomas.Corry@hhs.gov
🌐 MAHA Commission Chair Robert Kennedy, Jr.: Contact via X
📧 Media Testimonies: media@hhs.gov
Join Advocacy Efforts: Connect with CHADD to participate in organized advocacy campaigns.
Contact Your Representatives: Share the letter and evidence-based ADHD research with your national, state, and local representatives.
💪 Every voice matters!
By participating in these calls to action, you help protect the health and well-being of the 22 million Americans with ADHD.
Share this newsletter, amplify the message, and advocate for science-backed ADHD treatment and support!
Letter to the MAHA Commission
February 26, 2025
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
As the Make America Healthy Again Commission begins its evaluation of published research on the chronic health conditions impacting American children, we urge it to consult with the esteemed clinicians associated with the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the World Federation of ADHD regarding the established science on ADHD causes and treatments. Consensus within these groups, and among ADHD researchers worldwide, is strong and consistent regarding the following evidence-based findings:
ADHD is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition characterized by inattention, impulsivity, executive dysfunction, and/or hyperactivity that persists into adulthood for approximately 90% of patients.1
ADHD is a highly genetic condition.2,3,4 Lifestyle factors such as nutrition, exercise, and sleep exert epigenetic changes on DNA that influence how strongly or weakly ADHD genes are expressed. However, diet, physical activity, sleep, or screen use alone do not cause — and have not been shown to “cure” — ADHD.
The 16% increase in ADHD diagnoses over the last decade is due, in large part, to revised diagnostic criteria published in the DSM-5, which changed the maximum age of onset from 7 to 12 and added the first-ever qualifier symptoms for ADHD in adulthood. This wider net, along with improved education, training, and symptom recognition, particularly in historically overlooked girls and women, account for much of the diagnostic uptick, according to studies.5, 6
Scientific research has established no causal link between excessive screen time, video game play, or social media use and ADHD.7 Some studies suggest these habits may exacerbate inattention and impulsivity.8, 9
Scientific research has established no causal link between consumption of sugar, food additives, or food dyes and ADHD, though some studies show a heightened sensitivity among children with ADHD to these foods, which may exacerbate existing symptoms.10
Scientific research shows that prenatal and/or childhood exposure to tobacco, lead, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may increase the odds of ADHD in some children, however the studies do not find direct causality.11,12, 13,14
Several research studies have shown that consumption of a Western diet high in processed foods, fats, sugars, and salt is associated with higher rates of ADHD, however these studies demonstrate an association rather than causality.15
ADHD shortens an individual’s life expectancy by 7.5 years, on average.16 It is serious, potentially lethal, and associated with elevated risks for comorbid conditions 17, 18 including anxiety, depression,19 substance use disorder,20 eating disorders,21, 22 obesity, and oppositional defiant disorder,23 which commonly derails treatment plans and parenting strategies. People with ADHD are more likely to get into car accidents,24 become hospitalized, and engage in self-harm than are their neurotypical peers.25, 26, 27
In patients with the condition, ADHD medication use reduces the risk of death by 19%, the risk of overdose by 50%,28 the risk of substance abuse by 50%,29 and the risk of motor vehicle accidents by at least 38%.30 Its effective symptom management improves patients’ self-esteem and efficacy, thereby reducing the risk of self-harm and suicide, as well as negative life outcomes such as unwanted pregnancy, incarceration, unemployment, and interruption of education.
The medications used to treat ADHD have been studied rigorously and used safely for 88 years. Amphetamine and methylphenidate safely and effectively reduce ADHD symptoms, with methylphenidate reducing symptoms by 70% to 90% in children and adults with the condition.31, 32 The effect sizes for ADHD medication are .8 to 1.0,33 which are among the strongest in all of psychiatry. Clinical practice guidelines recommend medication as the first-line treatment for ADHD due to its overwhelming efficacy; for children with ADHD ages 4 to 6, parent behavior training is recommended by the AAP.34
According to the CDC, just 53.6% of all children and teens with ADHD reported they were actively treating their symptoms with medication in 2022. Because stimulant medications are classified as Schedule II drugs under the Controlled Substances Act, they are tightly regulated; supplies are limited to 30 days and prescribing clinicians must authorize monthly refills. The widely reported ADHD medication shortage has disrupted treatment for millions of patients across the country since 2022.35
Caregivers and adults with ADHD surveyed by ADDitude rate medication as the most effective treatment for ADHD, however less than half of parents report that they chose to medicate their children within 6 months of diagnosis. They report changing diet, limiting screen time, supplementing with fish oil, and increasing physical activity before ultimately using medication to achieve the symptom improvement necessary for academic and social success.
The mild to moderate side effects associated with ADHD medication include appetite suppression, irritability or moodiness, sleep problems, and headaches. There is no evidence that ADHD medication use leads to dependency or broader substance abuse; in fact, research shows that ADHD medication use is protective against substance use disorder in individuals with ADHD.36
The non-stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, such as atomoxetine, guanfacine, and clonidine, have an effect size of .4 to .7 and are considered a second-line treatment appropriate for patients who do not tolerate or cannot take stimulants.37, 38, 39
Clinical guidelines promote the use of multimodal treatment plans that pair prescription medication with complementary approaches to ADHD management. The nonpharmacological interventions shown to be most effective at reducing ADHD symptoms in children are behavioral therapy (effect size of .5 to.8 when used on its own),40 exercise (effect size of .4 to .6 when used on its own),41 sleep hygiene and interventions (effect size of .5 to .8 when used on their own),42 and dietary interventions (effect size of .2 to .5 when used on their own).43
Behavioral therapy, principally parent training, has an elevated and improved effect when used in conjunction with ADHD medication.44 Behavioral therapy is used by just 44% of pediatric patients, in part because it’s not always covered by medical insurance and knowledgeable providers are scarce.
One meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials showed that supplementation with high doses of omega-3 fatty acids has a small positive impact on attention and hyperactivity in children.45
Research suggests that restricting the consumption of synthetic food dyes does benefit some children with ADHD, though aggregate effects are quite small.46
When engaging in vigorous cardiovascular exercise, the brain releases endorphins. Levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin also increase with exercise, thus improving focus, working memory, and mood to enable better learning.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), though more commonly prescribed to adult patients, has been shown to improve core ADHD symptoms in adolescents when used in conjunction with ADHD medication.47
Neurofeedback uses an electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure brain activity and train the patient to produce brain wave patterns like those of a non-ADHD brain. Neurofeedback has not shown enough effectiveness in studies to be recommended as a “stand-alone” treatment for ADHD and there is little evidence that neurofeedback reduces ADHD symptoms long-term. In addition, neurofeedback is seldom covered by insurance and involves a significant investment of time and money.48, 49, 50
According to research, brain training does not reduce ADHD symptoms. There is no evidence that a patient can train a brain to improve working memory, or any other executive function.51, 52, 53
Thank you for reviewing the evidence-based research highlighted above. We welcome follow-up questions from the Commission as it devises recommendations based on science that may benefit the health and wellbeing of the 22 million Americans with ADHD, whom ADDitude has served for the last 26 years. We support their personal liberty to pursue and maintain the treatments that benefit their ADHD brains, which are a tremendous asset to this nation.
Sincerely,
Anni Rodgers
General Manager, ADDitude