Western Australia's ADHD prescription rates: Advocacy, telehealth, and the 'wild west' of diagnosis

Lead

Western Australia, and particularly the Perth region, has emerged as the epicentre of Australia's ADHD prescription boom, with new data showing that seven of the top 10 prescribing neighbourhoods are in the state's south-west. The concentration has prompted experts to examine why the region has such high rates — and whether they reflect genuine need or overdiagnosis.

Coverage Comparison

ABC News has published a series of reports examining the national rise in ADHD diagnoses, with a particular focus on Western Australia. The coverage draws on a dataset analysed exclusively for the broadcaster's Four Corners program by the Medicines Intelligence Research Program at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). That dataset, which tracks the percentage of adults who filled at least one ADHD prescription in a financial year, shows remarkable geographic variation and a steep national increase.

One report highlights that Perth and southern Western Australia account for seven of Australia's 10 highest ADHD-prescribing neighbourhoods. The Fremantle area tops the national list, with 4.4 per cent of adults filling prescriptions in the year to June 2024, followed by Cottesloe and Claremont at 4.1 per cent. Given that nationally prescriptions rose by 30 per cent in the years since, the report notes that the current figure for these areas could be closer to 6 per cent.

A separate report focuses on the national trend, noting that the rate of ADHD diagnoses, based on adult prescriptions, has risen by almost 600 per cent since 2017. The same report points out that women now outnumber men in terms of ADHD medication prescriptions in 94 per cent of neighbourhoods, a shift that has occurred since late 2022.

Key Claims

• National data shows that 2.36 per cent of adults aged 20 to 65 filled an ADHD medication prescription at least once in the 2025 financial year, according to the UNSW analysis reported by ABC News.
• Experts cited by ABC estimate that the actual prevalence of ADHD in adults is between 2.5 and 3 per cent.
• Prescribing rates vary dramatically across the country, with some areas exceeding expected prevalence and others falling significantly below.
• Telehealth services are cited as a potential contributor to the rise in diagnoses, alongside increased awareness and social media.
• Some experts express concern about the potential for misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis.
• Historical advocacy in Western Australia may have played a role: ADHD coach Michele Toner, who chairs ADHD WA, told ABC that a group of specialists and parents in the 1990s pioneered ADHD services in the state, leading to earlier recognition. "We've worked very hard to educate the public," she said, adding, "I don't know if people in WA are more neurodivergent — they often do refer to us as the wild west."

Perspectives

ADHD WA representatives: Michele Toner, ADHD coach and chair of ADHD WA, argues that early advocacy and education efforts in the 1990s put Western Australia ahead of the curve in recognising ADHD. She suggests that the high prescription rates may reflect greater awareness and acceptance of the condition in the state.

Medical professionals: Some experts quoted in the ABC reports express concern that telehealth services and increased awareness may be leading to misdiagnosis and overdiagnosis. They note that the data showing high prescription rates in areas like Perth may not align with expert estimates of true ADHD prevalence, raising questions about whether some diagnoses are accurate.