Over 11 percent of primary school age (7-12) boys had an ADHD diagnosis in 2023, while the rate for girls aged 13-17 has climbed to seven percent nationwide.File photo of ADHD medication. Image: Toni Pitkänen / YleYle News10:30Updated 10:30The number of children and young people in Finland being diagnosed with ADHD continues to increase, and the effects are piling additional pressure on the country's healthcare services.Young boys tend to be more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis, but the rate among girls aged 13-17 years old has also risen significantly in recent years.Figures published last year by Finland's public health authority THL revealed that 11.5 percent of primary school age (7-12) boys had an ADHD diagnosis in 2023, a sharp increase on the proportion of just 3.3 percent registered in 2015.For girls aged 7-12, the rate is about 4.5 percent — but jumps to 7 percent for the higher age category of 13-17-year-old girls."ADHD diagnoses among children and young people have become more common throughout the entire observation period of 2015–2024, and no clear change in the direction of development has yet been observed," THL's chief physician Terhi Aalto-Setälä wrote in a THL press release.This situation is causing a major headache for Finland's primary healthcare services, she added, as ADHD diagnostics require careful multidisciplinary assessment — something which is often not possible due to the limited resources available.In addition, according to data from social benefits agency Kela, the use of ADHD medication among children and young people tripled between 2019 and 2024 — although diagnoses have increased faster than medication use."This is an interesting observation," Kela's research director Miika Vuori said. "The use of ADHD medication is already quite common in Finland compared to other Nordic countries, especially among elementary school-age boys."He added that the data may indicate changes in treatment practices."The phenomenon affects a significant portion of the population, and it is important to monitor its development through registry data," he added.Yle News' All Points North podcast sought to find out last year why so many kids in Finland are being diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Are the kids alright? Finland's ADHD generation