https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054720905664 Journal of Attention Disorders 1–4 © The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1087054720905664 journals.sagepub.com/home/jad Research Brief Introduction ADHD diagnosis is based on the assessment of behavioral symptoms. Prevalence estimates for this disease have there- fore been at the core of an international debate in the last two decades (Polanczyk et al., 2007, 2014). In France, the only available study carried out telephone inquiries in 2008 from a 7,912 randomly selected sample of households. The researchers estimated that 3.5% children suffered from ADHD, while 2.2% other children were treated with psychostimulants for attention deficit or hyper- activity symptoms without having formally been diagnosed (Lecendreux et al., 2011). The use of a rigorous scientific approach and a strong methodology which had been inter- nationally duplicated (Lecendreux et al., 2011) let the authors conclude the prevalence rate of children suffering from ADHD in France ranged from 3.5% to 5.6%. They also noted that among the 3.5% of children who were diag- nosed with ADHD, 36.5% were being treated with methyl- phenidate (Lecendreux et al., 2011). Therefore, they estimated that 3.48% of children aged 6 to 12 were effec- tively treated with psychostimulants: 2.2% + (3.5% × 0.365) = 3.48%. Another way of estimating diagnosis and methylpheni- date prescription rates for ADHD is the analysis of data belonging to national health care insurance systems (Yoshida et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020). Although these data are not strictly equivalent to an effective prevalence rate, a more precise prevalence rate of medication use for ADHD and/or rate of ADHD diagnosis could only help researchers, professionals, and parents have access to the best level of information available on the epidemiology of the disorder. In 2017, a report was issued by the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety 1 using data from the French National Social Security System (Système National d’Information Inter-Régimes de l’Assurance Maladie [SNIIRAM]) concerning methylphenidate consumption among children aged 6 to 11. This report showed that 19,613 children aged 6 to 11 were effectively treated with methyl- phenidate in 2014 (Agence nationale de sécurité du médica- ment et des produits de santé [ANSM], 2017). The study 905664JAD XX X 10.1177/1087054720905664Journal of Attention DisordersPonnou and Haliday research-article 2020 1 Université de Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France 2 Paris Nanterre University, France Corresponding Author: Sébastien Ponnou, UFR Lettres et Sciences Humaines, Université de Rouen, Place Emile Blondel, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France. Email: sebastien.ponnou-delaffon@univ-rouen.fr ADHD Diagnosis and Drug Use Estimates in France: A Case for Using Health Care Insurance Data Sébastien Ponnou 1 and Héloïse Haliday 2 Abstract Objective: Prevalence estimates for ADHD have been debated for decades. In France, the only available study states the prevalence rate in France ranges from 3.5% to 5.6% of children aged 6 to 12. It also evaluates that 3.48% of children aged 6 to 12 are treated with psychostimulants. The article uses a different method to determine whether these estimates hold true. Method: Estimating ADHD diagnosis and methylphenidate prescription rates can be done by analyzing national health care insurance system’s data. We used data from the French Healthcare Insurance as reported by the National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety. Results: We claim that an adequate estimate of the ADHD prevalence rate in France fluctuates around 0.3% of children aged 6 to 11. Discussion: Methodological biases in ADHD prevalence studies and factors contributing to the low level of prescription in France need to be assessed. Conclusion: We call for supplementary investigations in health care insurance databases to conduct contradictory studies. (J. of Att. Dis. XXXX; XX(X) XX-XX) Keywords ADD/ADHD, prevalence, methylphenidate