How are you doing, handling all of this time at home?
If working or learning virtually has you a little down, unmotivated, maybe a bit forgetful and anxious, you’re far from alone. The pandemic has caused a lot of people to feel that way.
But for others, the COVID-19 pandemic and related shutdowns didn’t cause those mental health issues; it just revealed them.
Dr. Jessica Garrett, of the Birmingham Maple Clinic, said she has seen a huge jump this past year in patients who want to be tested for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. That includes younger students and working adults.
Garrett said the clinic saw a 25% increase in consultation requests for ADHD testing from January of 2020 compared to January of 2021.
“Working from home, a lot of those natural parameters that keep us on track or on schedule are taken away. It’s left a lot of us to our own devices, and a lot of people are struggling,” said Garrett.
And it turns out, most of those folks looking for a diagnosis end up getting one, whether it’s mild ADD — attention deficit disorder without the hyperactivity that can cause a lot of noticeable external symptoms like interrupting conversations or fidgeting — or severe ADHD, or something in between.