Black History Month: Studies and Resources on ADHD and Racial Disparities

Feb 11

While Black and African American history deserves recognition and celebration year-round, I did not want February to pass without acknowledging the documented disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in Black individuals.

As a white woman, this is not a topic where my personal experience is relevant or centered. Instead, this post is intended to serve as a curated collection of studies, articles, and resources that examine racial disparities in ADHD diagnosis and care, alongside voices and experts who are doing this work.

Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I'm afraid to let people know.
- Simone Biles

My responsibility in this space is to listen, learn, and examine my own implicit biases. At the same time, it feels important to name the broader context in which these disparities exist. Black history must be acknowledged and celebrated while also recognizing that the United States was built through the exploitation and enslavement of African Americans. Many of our institutions were shaped by this history and continue to reflect its impact.

Although slavery was abolished on paper, institutionalized racism did not end. Black Americans were never given the reparative resources promised following emancipation, and systemic inequities persist across housing, education, healthcare, and the criminal legal system. These inequities directly affect who is believed, who is diagnosed, who receives treatment, and who is punished for behaviors that are medicalized in others.

Racism operates both overtly and covertly. White people, myself included, have a responsibility to listen, learn, acknowledge harm, and take accountability, both personally and systemically.

In conjunction with publishing this post, I have donated to The Loveland Foundation, which provides financial assistance to Black women and nonbinary individuals seeking therapy across the United States.

This is a living resource. My hope is to continue adding to it over time. If you have studies, articles, or experts you would recommend including, email me at kelly@intentionaladhd.com.

What I’ve come to learn, thanks to some great therapists, is my depression is created by a severe level of ADHD. If I’m not careful in how I sleep, how I eat, how I manage my routine, I can become overwhelmed and it can feel like the whole world is just too heavy to bear.
- Trevor Noah

Studies and articles on ADHD and racial disparities

Why Seeing Black Children with ADHD as a “Discipline Problem” Must Stop (2026)
This article shares the experiences of two mothers with ADHD whose children are also diagnosed. It highlights how Black children’s ADHD symptoms are more likely to be perceived negatively than those of white peers, leading to missed school, academic setbacks, and self-esteem challenges. The article notes disparities in access to testing and specialists of color and cites research showing Black children are 69% less likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis. It also found that only 36% of Black children with ADHD receive medication, compared to 65% of white children.

The Children Left Behind (2025, ADDitude Magazine)
A comprehensive overview of racial disparities in ADHD diagnosis and treatment among Black children. Contributing factors discussed include implicit bias, school quality, insurance access, stigma, and mistrust of the medical system. The article also outlines steps providers can take to reduce inequities, including education, outreach, improved diagnostic tools, and bias-aware care.

Being Black with ADHD (2024, Howard University)
This article examines disparities in diagnosis and treatment and offers guidance for educators, families, and healthcare providers on how to better support Black individuals with ADHD.

Large-Scale Analysis Reveals Racial Disparities in the Prevalence of ADHD and Conduct Disorders (2024)
This study found white patients were 26% more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis and 61% less likely to be diagnosed with a conduct disorder than Black patients. Inattentive-type ADHD diagnoses were 55% lower among Black patients. Black women were the least likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis.

ADHD and Racial Disparities: What Clinicians Can Do (2024)
A clinician-focused resource outlining ways providers can reduce misdiagnosis and improve ADHD care for Black patients.

Understanding ADHD in Black Adolescents in Urban Schools (2022)
A qualitative study examining ADHD experiences among Black high school students in low-income urban areas. Findings highlighted developmental changes in symptom presentation during adolescence and contextual factors across individual, family, school, and community systems. Positive factors noted in the study include help-seeking behavior, caregiver involvement, praising adolescents’ strengths, and modifying the classroom environment.

I don’t control my ADHD with Ritalin, but with music. Music brings control to my thoughts. When I write music, I make order out of disorder. If you think about it, the songs I write are very ADHD-ish. They have five hooks in one, and it all happens in three minutes.
- Will.I.Am