Oct 28, 2025
3 min read
A large study in Sweden showed that the extraordinary improvement in their daily background did not correspond to their symptoms.Although ADHD activity was stable in boys, they saw small estimates across generations in girls, suggesting some impact on the senses.
A new study examining nine consecutive birth years in Sweden indicates that the dramatic increase in clinical diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder has not been accompanied by an increase in autism-related symptoms in the general population.The research published in the journal Psychiatry Research also found that while ADHD symptoms reported by parents remained stable in children, there was a small but statistically significant increase among girls.
Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and interaction, along with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is another neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development.Over the past two decades, the number of clinical diagnoses for both conditions has increased significantly in many Western countries, particularly in adolescents and young adults.
This behavior raises the question of whether the behaviors associated with these conditions are common in the general population.The researchers completed this opportunity as parents created. Made to do this research.
"The frequency of clinical diagnoses of ASD and ADHD has increased dramatically over the past few years," said a psychiatrist at Gillberg Neuropsychiatry.
"Prevalence is high in teenagers and young adults. Therefore, we wanted to find out if symptoms of ASD and ADHD in the population increased by age 18. In this study we used data from a twin study in Sweden in which parents reported symptoms of ASD and ADHD when their children turned 18 and investigated whether symptoms increased between the years of 2011."
To conduct the analysis, the researchers used data from a larger ongoing project called the Child and Adolescent Twin Study.This study follows twins born in Sweden to learn about their mental and physical health. For this particular study, researchers focused on data collected from nearly 10,000 parents, whose parents were asked to complete a child behavior questionnaire about their child's behavior and personality.
Parents answered 12 questions designed to measure symptoms of autism.These items correspond to the diagnostic criteria of ASD.For ADHD, parents completed a 17-item checklist covering problems with attention deficits and executive function, which are core components of ADHD.
Using this data, the researchers used statistical methods to analyze whether the average symptom scores changed during the nine different birth years, from 1993 to 2001.They also looked at the percentage of people who scored in the highest percentiles, representing those with the most significant number of characteristics.
The analysis showed no increase in the average level of parent-reported autism symptoms among 18-year-olds over nine years.This stability was observed for both boys and girls.Similarly, when the researchers looked at the percentage of people with the highest symptoms, defined as those in the top five percent, they found no statistically significant change over time.This suggests that the prevalence of autism-related traits in the young adult population has remained stable over this period.
ADHD results revealed a different picture.The data showed that reported parental symptoms of rejection among boys were stable.There was no significant change in the number of common symptoms or the percentage of boys placing in the top 10 percent.But in girls, the study showed a small but statistically significant increase in ADHD symptoms at nine years of birth.This trend is evident both in symptom scores and in the proportion of girls in the top 10 percent for ADHD symptoms.
Although this increase is significant, researchers note that the magnitude of the increase in girls is small.Year of birth explained only a small part of the variation in ADHD symptoms.The results suggest that although there may be a slight upward trend towards slightly elevated symptoms among some adhd girls, there is little to explain the large increase in diagnoses in this group.The study provides evidence that the increase in diabetes and ADHD diagnoses may be influenced by factors other than just an increase in symptoms.
"Nine years after birth, despite increasing diagnoses, there was no sign of an increase in ASD symptoms in the population," Arvidsson told PSYPOST.
Researchers offer several alternative explanations for further investigations.Public and professional awareness may lead more people to seek reviews.Diagnostic requirements in previous years as well as in previous years, including people who could not meet their customers before.Certain behaviors may be seen as more harmful than they were before, while another may be a change in perception.This is consistent with other research that indicates the same number of diseases today compared to ten years ago.
Changes in social demands may also contribute, especially in educational settings that place greater emphasis on executive functions and complex social skills.In some cases, a formal diagnosis may be a prerequisite for access to academic support and resources, creating incentives for assessment.The authors suggest that the slight increase in ADHD symptoms among girls may reflect a better awareness of how ADHD presents in women, or perhaps overlap with the increased symptoms of anxiety and depression in this demographic as well.
"One possibility is that the increase in clinical diagnoses of both ASD and ADHD needs to be explained by factors other than increased symptoms in the population, such as increased awareness of ASD and ADHD symptoms and increased perceived disability," says Arvidson."Together, we hope to allay any concerns about a real increase in ASD or ADHD."
The study of some boundaries.The answer number for the adequate questions at least one of the notes in the signs in the signs in the hyperactive.then, the most important things in adhd things of adhd.
Future research could examine these methods at different stages and in different contexts.The researchers also plan to examine clinical practice more closely to understand more about the health care process.
"We want to understand how it's detected in a clinical study in a hospital, as it is usually done in frequency in different groups," said Arvidson.
The study, "Vascular Symptoms in 18-Year-Olds - A Population-Based Vascular Study 1993 to 2001," by Woltick Welson, Christopher Galliberg, and Sebastian Lulberg.
