Channel 4 has commissioned a 60-minute documentary, The Great ADHD Myth?, presented by NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton, to investigate an approximately 200% rise in ADHD referrals between 2020 and 2025. The film will probe whether ADHD reflects neurodevelopmental differences or is amplified by modern environmental factors like screens, ultra-processed food and schooling. It will feature expert interviews from both sides of the debate and follow a family trying lifestyle changes to reduce medication use. The documentary is due to premiere on Channel 4 in 2027.
Channel 4 to Air 'The Great ADHD Myth?': Documentary Probes 200% Rise in ADHD Referrals
Concerta pills ADHD medication are seen in this illustration photo in Warsaw, Poland on 13 February, 2024. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty Images
Channel 4 has commissioned a 60-minute documentary, The Great ADHD Myth?, presented by NHS psychiatrist Dr Max Pemberton. The film will investigate an apparent surge in ADHD referrals and question whether modern life—ranging from smartphones to ultra-processed diets and classroom pressures—may be contributing to that increase.
Concerta pills, an ADHD medication, are pictured in this illustrative photograph taken in Warsaw, Poland on 13 February 2024. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
What the Film Will Explore
Data from the National Health Service (NHS) indicate roughly a 200% rise in referrals for ADHD assessment between 2020 and 2025. The documentary will examine several core questions: Is ADHD primarily a neurodevelopmental disorder with distinct brain wiring? Or are changes in environment and lifestyle amplifying behaviours that look like ADHD? The programme will also evaluate common treatment approaches and ask whether medication should be the default response for children and young people when causes remain uncertain.
Approach and Participants
Dr Max Pemberton will interview experts across the debate, giving airtime to clinicians, researchers and advocates from different perspectives. The film will also follow a young family attempting holistic lifestyle changes—such as adjustments to routine, diet and screen time—to see whether those measures can reduce a boy's reliance on ADHD medication.
"As a psychiatrist, I've 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," Pemberton said. "There's no doubt that the people seeking these diagnoses are genuinely struggling; that isn't 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."
The documentary aims to provide context and practical insight for parents, educators and clinicians wrestling with a rise in referrals and a complex clinical picture. The Great ADHD Myth? is scheduled to premiere on Channel 4 in 2027. This article was originally published on Forbes.com.
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