{"id":727688,"date":"2026-08-04T23:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/727688\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T23:50:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:50:09","slug":"adhd-uk-slams-channel-4-over-the-great-adhd-myth-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/727688\/","title":{"rendered":"ADHD UK Slams Channel 4 Over ‘The Great ADHD Myth?’ Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"

The charity ADHD UK<\/a> has penned an open letter to Channel 4 after it shared a new documentary will be aired dubbed \u2018The Great ADHD Myth?\u2019<\/a>, HuffPost UK can exclusively reveal.<\/p>\n

The TV channel said the show \u201cseeks to determine whether ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder] is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder, or a social construct\u201d.<\/p>\n

The show will follow NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton as he speaks to \u201ca growing number of medical experts who are questioning the conventional narrative around ADHD\u201d.<\/p>\n

According to Channel 4\u2019s release, these experts \u201cdiscuss whether the real problem is the environments in which young people are growing up, as well as the current health and schooling systems not being flexible enough to cater for a wide enough range of personalities and behaviours among children\u201d.<\/p>\n

It will also follow a family who \u201cwant to see whether holistic lifestyle changes can eliminate one boy\u2019s use of ADHD medication\u201d, a press release seen by HuffPost UK reads.<\/p>\n

Dr Max Pemberton, who features in the documentary, said: \u201cAs a psychiatrist, I\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that the people seeking these diagnoses are genuinely struggling; that isn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DrDr Max Pemberton features in \u2018The Great ADHD Myth?\u2019 \u2013 a new documentary announced by Channel 4. <\/p>\n

Backlash against framing of show<\/p>\n

Since information about the documentary was publicly shared, some people with ADHD<\/a> as well as mental health experts have revealed their disappointment over the framing of the show \u2013 especially the title. <\/p>\n

An open letter to the channel from the CEO and co-founder of ADHD UK, Henry Shelford, seen by HuffPost UK, points out that \u201cthe damage of a title like this is done in the listings, in the commentary, before a single frame is broadcast\u201d. <\/p>\n

After the documentary details were shared on 29 July, Dr Chris Abbott,<\/a> chief medical officer at Care ADHD, shared in an email: \u201cPresenting ADHD as potentially no more than a \u2018social construct\u2019 is scientifically misleading and risks causing real harm to children, adults and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Dr Claudia Aymerich<\/a>, consultant psychiatrist at Berkeley Psychiatrists, is also concerned by the framing, which she said \u201coversimplifies a far more complex issue and doesn\u2019t reflect where the scientific evidence sits\u201d.<\/p>\n

In response to these concerns, a Channel 4 spokesperson told HuffPost UK: \u201cThis documentary does not deny the lived experience of those diagnosed with ADHD, but does present the view of an extensive range of senior medical experts \u2013 many of whom work or have worked with the NHS or have held presidential roles at professional membership bodies \u2013 who seek to question the conventional understanding of ADHD and if it is a neurodevelopmental condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey also ask whether modern living has contributed to a rise in diagnoses, and whether there may be better alternatives for some children than medication.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADHD is a real and recognised condition<\/p>\n

ADHD is recognised by the World Health Organization, the NHS and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.<\/p>\n

Dr Aymerich said: \u201cStudies consistently demonstrate differences in brain development and function, particularly in areas relating to attention, executive functioning and impulse control, alongside a strong genetic component.\u201d<\/p>\n

And \u201cwhile modern environments, education systems, increased screen use and lifestyle factors can all influence how symptoms present or how significantly they affect someone\u2019s daily life, they do not negate the existence of ADHD itself\u201d, she added.<\/p>\n

In its open letter, ADHD UK highlighted that \u201cthis is not a parlour debate. People die\u201d and pointed to UCL-led research<\/a> using UK health records which showed that adults with diagnosed ADHD have a shorter life expectancy. There was a reduction in life expectancy for men with diagnosed ADHD of between 4.5 and 9 years, and between 6.5 and 11 years for women.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving ADHD is tough. Undermining the condition just makes it tougher. When a national broadcaster invites millions to file all of this under \u2018myth\u2019, people cancel assessments, parents doubt their children, employers doubt their staff, and lives are put at risk,\u201d said Henry Shelford, who has ADHD. <\/p>\n

After a BBC Panorama programme investigating Private ADHD Clinics aired in 2023, ADHD UK surveyed more than 2,200 people with ADHD<\/a> \u2013 90% suggested stigma had increased because of the programme, and 84% believed it would stop people with symptoms from seeking an assessment.<\/p>\n

Dr Aymerich is concerned about how the framing may impact those living with ADHD or currently seeking a diagnosis. \u201cMany patients spend years being told they are lazy, disruptive, disorganised or simply not trying hard enough before finally understanding that there is a recognised medical explanation for the challenges they have experienced throughout their lives,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cReceiving a diagnosis can be genuinely life-changing because it allows people to access appropriate support and better understand themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cWhen public debate shifts toward questioning whether ADHD is \u2018real\u2019, it risks reigniting shame, self-doubt and stigma for those individuals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may also discourage parents from seeking assessments for children who are struggling or make adults question whether they deserve support at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Untreated ADHD is associated with consequences such as poorer educational outcomes, relationship difficulties, anxiety, depression, substance misuse and increased risk of accidental injury.<\/p>\n

ADHD UK\u2019s letter has called for a review of the title of the show and for the broadcaster to \u201cmake clear on screen where contributors\u2019 views sit relative to mainstream clinical consensus\u201d.<\/p>\n

It also takes issue with a child being at the centre of an experiment involving replacing medication with lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n

In response to this, Channel 4 said \u201cthe wellbeing of our contributors was of paramount importance throughout, and the observational study of one child\u2019s medication break was undertaken in consultation with multiple psychiatrists, an independent doctor and the family\u2019s GP\u201d.<\/p>\n

The open letter continues: \u201cWe are not asking Channel 4 to duck hard questions about ADHD. Waiting lists, service failure and the gulf between need and provision deserve every camera you can point at them. We are asking you to aim at the right target.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADHD needs to be further explored, say experts<\/p>\n

All of the experts HuffPost UK spoke to stress that ADHD should be discussed in the media. Dr Abbott said: \u201cThere\u2019s legitimate discussion to be had about the quality of assessments, inequalities in access, the careful use of medication and the need for holistic support.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiagnosis should always follow a comprehensive specialist assessment, and treatment should be individualised rather than reduced to medication alone. But questioning whether ADHD itself is \u2018real\u2019 is not a balanced contribution to that debate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Aymerich added \u201cthere is an important distinction between asking whether we are diagnosing and treating ADHD as effectively as possible and questioning whether the condition itself exists\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first is an essential scientific discussion,\u201d she said. \u201cThe second risks undermining decades of clinical evidence and doing unnecessary harm to a patient group that already faces considerable misunderstanding and barriers to accessing care.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The charity ADHD UK has penned an open letter to Channel 4 after it shared a new documentary…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":727689,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[736,59,102,737,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-727688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-adhd","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-neurodivergent","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=727688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/727689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=727688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=727688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=727688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}