The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement
Published in 2021, the World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement brings together the current scientific evidence on ADHD in a single, authoritative reference. Developed by leading international experts, it addresses common misconceptions, summarizes well-established research findings, and promotes evidence-based understanding of ADHD worldwide.
About the Consensus Statement
The International Consensus Statement was developed by internationally recognized ADHD experts, including Stephen Faraone, Tobias Banaschewski, David Coghill, Yi Zheng, Joseph Biederman, Mark Bellgrove, Jeffrey Newcorn, Martin Gignac, Iris Manor, Luis Rohde, Samuele Cortese, and many other leading researchers, several of whom serve on the Board of the World Federation of ADHD.
The authors emphasize that misconceptions about ADHD contribute to stigma, undermine confidence in healthcare professionals, and can delay or prevent appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Drawing on 208 evidence-based statements, the Consensus Statement summarizes findings supported by strong scientific evidence. It highlights that ADHD is typically caused by the combined effects of multiple genetic and environmental factors, that measurable differences exist between the brains of people with and without ADHD, and that untreated ADHD is associated with a wide range of adverse outcomes while placing a substantial economic burden on societies worldwide.
Available Documents
English
العربية
Català
Français
Deutsch
Italiano
Русский
Español
Svenska
Türkçe
Cymraeg
Become a Signatory
Support evidence-based ADHD research and help promote a shared scientific understanding of ADHD worldwide.
If you endorse the International Consensus Statement, we invite you to add your name to the list of international signatories.
Translations & Acknowledgements
Making the International Consensus Statement accessible in multiple languages is an important step towards improving evidence-based ADHD knowledge worldwide. We sincerely thank all translators, reviewers, and contributors for their time, expertise, and commitment to ensuring the quality and accuracy of these translations.
Saudi ADHD Society
- Translation:
Dr Hussain AlTaweel, Psychiatrist
Marwah Behisi, Psychologist - Editing:
Prof. Mohammed M.J. Alqahtani
Jeremy Varnham
Juan Pérez Caro
President of the Catalan Federation
of Associations of Relatives and Affected by ADHD
Sabadell, Spain
Xuping Gao
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Ning Wang
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Rao Xie
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Yilu Zhao
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Fuxi Zhangkang
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Zhao Fu
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Yirong Liu
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Edited by:
Li Yang
Peking University Sixth Hospital
Beijing, People's Republic of China
Li Chen
Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
People's Republic of China
Diane Purper-Ouakil MD, PhD
University of Montpellier, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier,
Hôpital Saint Eloi, Montpellier, France
INSERM CESP U 1018 Psychiatry, Development and Trajectories,
University of Saclay, France
Hervé CACI, MD, PhD
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Pediatric Department
Hôpitaux Pédiatriques de Nice CHU Lenval
57, avenue de la Californie, Nice, France
Christine Gétin
President, French ADHD Patients organization
HyperSupers TDAH, France
François Pinabel, MD
Psychiatrist
Attaché à La Pitié Salpêtrière
Paris, France
Jacques Bouchez
Neurodevelopmental Disorders – ADHD Centre
GHU Psychiatry and Neurosciences - Paris
1rue Cabanis, Paris, France
Prof. Franck J. Baylé
Paris University and School of Medicine
Past Chair of Psychiatry, HDR, INSERM U1153,
Statistic and epidemiologic research center Sorbonne Paris Cité (CRESS), ECSTRRA team, Sainte-Anne Hospital - GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, France
Michaela Junghänel
M.Sc. Neurowissenschaften; M.Sc. Psychologie
Ausbildungsinstitut für Kinder- Jugendlichenpsychotherapie
an der Universitätsklinik Köln (AKiP)
Cologne, Germany
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Manfred Döpfner, Dipl.-Psych.
Ausbildungsinstitut für Kinder- Jugendlichenpsychotherapie
an der Universitätsklinik Köln (AKiP)
Cologne, Germany
Alberto Anedda, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist – Psychotherapist
Centro Lucio Bini Cagliari, Italy
Paolo Di Pasqua
Charge Nurse band 7
Emergency Department Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
United Kingdom
Letizia Freschi, Master Degree in International Relations
Rome, Italy
Chiara Gori, Neurologist
UO Riabilitazione Specialistica
Casa di Cura Ambrosiana
Cesano Boscone, Milan, Italy
Anna Maria Sbordone, Paediatric Resident
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Rome, Italy
Luca Sbordone
PhD in Linguistics at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom;
BA and MA in Philosophy at the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, Italy
Patrizia Stacconi
President of Italian Association Families ADHD Onlus, Italy
Special thanks for the review of the document:
Samuele Cortese, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
University of Southampton;
Honorary Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist,
Solent NHS Trust, United Kingdom
Andrei Hodorog, PhD
Research Associate, Cardiff University
Founder, About ADHD Romania
Cosmin-Adrian Ungureanu, MD
Psychiatrist
Ivan A. Martynikhin, MD, PhD
Department of Psychiatry,
First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, Russia
Tatyana A. Mudrakova
First Pavlov State Medical University of St. Petersburg, Russia
Xavier A Gastaminza, MD MSc
U. Paidopsychiatry
Hospital Infantil i de la Dona Vall d´Hebron.
UAB
Barcelona
Spain
Prof. J. Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, MD, PhD
Head of Department of Psychiatry
CIBERSAM
Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Barcelona
Spain
Swedish and Lättläst:
Sven Bölte
Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric Science, PhD
Head of Neuropsychiatry Division, Director of the Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet;
Center for Psychiatry Research, Dept. of Women's & Children's Health,
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Stockholm, Sweden
Lättläst:
Eric Zander, PhD
Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Centre for Psychiatry Research, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
Lund University, Medical Faculty, Department of Clinical Sciences, Helsingborg & Region Skåne, Sweden
Hakan Karaş, MD
Psychiatrist
Department of Psychology,
Istanbul Gelişim University, Turkey
Anita Thapar, FRCPsych PhD
Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences
Cardiff University
Wales, United Kingdom