The upcoming Channel 4 documentary The Great ADHD Myth? questions whether ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder or a social construct, and asks whether children should be given powerful psychiatric drugs to treat it.
The broadcaster's announcement has drawn fierce criticism, with viewers accusing the programme of sending a “dangerous” message.
NHS figures on ADHD
The announcement follows NHS data from May 2025 estimating that 2,498,000 people in England have ADHD, including those without a diagnosis. Of those, an estimated 741,000 are children and young people aged between five and 24.
In March 2025, up to 20,000 people were newly referred for an ADHD assessment to mental health services, an increase of 13.5% from the previous year.
What the documentary will explore
The programme features NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton and will look into “why” the traits of ADHD exist. A press release for The Great ADHD Myth? states: “While the traits of ADHD undeniably exist – the question is why they exist. Is ADHD actually a neurodevelopmental disorder? Do people with ADHD have differently wired brains? Or does our world – with phones, ultra-processed food, and regimented education system – serve as the catalyst for certain responses and patterns of behaviour? And with such uncertainty around the condition, should we really be giving children mind-altering drugs to treat it?”
The documentary also hears from medical experts who question “the conventional narrative” around ADHD and follows a young family who “want to see whether holistic lifestyle changes can eliminate one boy’s use of ADHD medication”.
Dr Pemberton said: “As a psychiatrist, I've watched ADHD go from a diagnosis that was only occasionally made and after careful assessment, to one that is increasingly demanded and dispensed, and I wanted to understand why. There's no doubt that the people seeking these diagnoses are genuinely struggling; that isn't in question. What the film asks is whether ADHD is really the best explanation for that struggle and my hope is that we come away with permission to ask better questions about what modern life is doing to all of us.”
Backlash on social media
Viewers have been left appalled by the announcement. One wrote: “The endless hostility toward people with ADHD, autism, and anxiety is reaching a terrifying point.” Another said: “Who tf signed off on this man- i don’t even have adhd and im outrageously offended.”
One person wrote: “What ableist bulls**t is this, @Channel4??” Someone else said: “More demonising and minimising those with mental health struggles. Fabulous.” Another called it “absolutely disgusting” and one said it was “incredibly hurtful”.
Another commented: “I don't have ADHD, but I never thought Channel 4 would stoop so low.” One person wrote: “Demonising neurodivergence. What a time to be alive.” Someone else said: ““Myth” ??? It’s not a myth if you have ADHD. What a way to frame it.” Another person described the documentary as “irresponsible and dangerous”.
One viewer shared: “As someone recently diagnosed, I am already sick and tired of ADHD being framed as “not real”. It made school utter hell for me, and impacts my day to day life. Why Channel 4 seem intent on pushing stuff like this I will never know.”
However, others expressed support for the programme. One said: “I’ve been diagnosed and I wonder this too!” Another wrote: “The outrage this has caused illustrates why it is needed. No diagnostic neurodevelopmental process has ever been established as constitute of ADHD, despite what is implied and many have been led to believe. The question posed by the doc, then, is entirely legitimate.”
Channel 4’s response
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: “This documentary does not deny the lived experience of people with ADHD traits, but does hear from a group of senior medical and academic experts - many of whom work or have worked with the NHS or have held presidential roles at professional membership bodies - who seek to question whether ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. They also ask whether modern living has contributed to a rise in diagnoses, and whether there may be better alternatives for children than medication.”
