A new Channel 4 documentary, The Great ADHD Myth?, presented by NHS psychiatrist and Daily Mail columnist Dr Max Pemberton, questions whether ADHD is a genuine neuro-developmental condition, challenges the use of amphetamine-based medication to treat it, and asks who profits from a sharp rise in diagnoses. The Guardian's review anticipates the programme will provoke strong reactions, noting that Pemberton and his assembled experts make their sceptical stance clear from the outset rather than offering a balanced debate.

The documentary features several senior medical voices, including former presidents of the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, who dispute ADHD's medical validity and its treatment. It cites around 2.5 million people in the UK now diagnosed, with referrals up 200% in five years, and follows Pemberton undergoing a £1,200 private assessment and taking medication himself, as well as 10-year-old Mason, who comes off ADHD medication for six weeks to try lifestyle changes such as yoga, outdoor activity and dietary changes instead.