Channel 4's new documentary, The Great ADHD Myth, has left viewers bitterly divided over its content. The episode centres on full-time NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton, who investigates whether children should be given mind-altering drugs to treat ADHD.
According to NHS data as of May 2025, an estimated 2,498,000 people in England had ADHD (including those without a diagnosis), and of those, 741,000 are children and young people aged five to 24.
Investigation and expert views
Pemberton's investigation includes meeting with medical experts who question the conventional narrative around ADHD, including consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Sami Timimi and Prof Katya Rubia. The documentary also looks at problems children face in their environment and speaks to young people diagnosed with the disorder, all boiling down to the question: is ADHD a 'social construct'?
At one point, Pemberton meets a child named Mason, who comes off medication. His mother, Shauna, says he is 'funnier, happier, more of a character, more himself', despite more behavioural issues. A note at the end confirms Mason is back on medication.
'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,' Dr Pemberton told Channel 4.
Stunt and divided reviews
During one stunt, Pemberton pays £1,200 for a single online assessment and is diagnosed with 'combined' ADHD and provided with medication, despite insisting he does not have it.
The 60-minute documentary, which explores how diet and lifestyle changes could help those with ADHD beyond medication, has already proved contentious. It has been hailed 'thought-provoking' by some and 'shameful' by others.
The Guardian's four-star review dubbed it 'the most controversial show of the year', adding: 'We live in a time when to question any prevailing orthodoxy will, in many cases, be met with an emotional outpouring. Casting any form of doubt on ADHD will absolutely not be the exception. But Pemberton answers his questions convincingly.'
The Times called it a 'provocative film against overdiagnosing', concluding: 'Alarmist or alarming? Everyone watching will have had their view. To me, much of this hour felt convincing, or at least the start of a necessary discussion.'
On the other hand, The Irish Independent declared the show was 'brazenly one-sided' and 'grossly irresponsible TV'.
Viewer and charity reactions
Viewers shared mixed reactions on X. PopCReview wrote: 'Disappointingly one-sided documentary on ADHD from Ch4. …Where were the counterarguments, the medical experts that have a different view on ADHD & its treatments?'
LisKallisto wrote they worried this was 'going to do more harm to individuals with ADHD', and Danny F echoed it appeared to be a 'completely one-sided documentary that will negatively impact hundreds of thousands'. Georgie said the network 'should be absolutely ashamed for airing this about an already potentially vulnerable group of people'.
Conversely, Julie Bingham said 'It's the most thought-provoking thing I have ever watched', and Jo Hemmings called it 'inspirational'.
Charity ADHD UK also shared an official response to the documentary and encouraged people to 'send Ofcom a complaint'. The statement said: 'We watched. We said we'd be fair. Here is our verdict. ADHD is not a myth. It is not a social construct. And the programme's own end credits told you what its 60 minutes wouldn't: the boy at its centre went back on his medication, and his schoolwork improved. Their experiment disproved their conclusion. They aired their version anyway.'
The Great ADHD Myth is streaming on Channel 4 now.
