Teachers, counsellors see more ADHD symptoms in children in Bengaluru

In Bengaluru, especially in schools, educators have noticed that the students who came back to physical classes after the lockdowns, have become hyperactive. 
| Photo Credit: Illustration for representation only

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of people is still being researched to this day. In Bengaluru, especially in schools, educators have noticed that the students who came back to physical classes after the lockdowns, have become hyperactive. In some cases, their behaviours have been diagnosed as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Teachers are seeing at least two cases of ADHD symptoms in each class.

“Across all the classes, there are at least 40 students who have ADHD symptoms, including varying degrees of concentration, impulsive behaviour and hyperactivity. Especially after the pandemic, parents say that there has been a rise in these kinds of symptoms,” said Sunita Belugundu, Special Educator, Delhi Public School, Bengaluru South.

She said that with students in higher grades, this also presents symptoms like difficulty in sustaining friendships, poor social skills, poor executive functioning skills and working memory is impacted.

Teachers stress on the importance of classroom management in such cases. While some of them require counselling, others require activities on their own levels.

“In a classroom of 50, at least three students are hyperactive. While we used to see hardly one or two cases before the pandemic, this is how it is now. We counsel some of them and calm them down, and redirect them to learning activities. In some cases, some of them will be brilliant and present such symptoms. In those cases, we provide them occupational activities,” said Sunil Fernandes S.J., principal, St Joseph’s Boys High School.

Schools have come up with various innovative ways to deal with such symptoms. For instance, Ms. Belugundu spoke about how the buddy support system (where one child helps the other) has worked wonders. “We also accommodate them in classrooms by seating them in the front rows and making eye contact so that they can stay focused,” she said.

Gadget and over-stimulation

Counsellors and mental health hospitals also reported seeing more cases of ADHD and its symptoms after the pandemic.

“Overall, between 2023 and 2024, there has been a 50% increase in ADHD cases,” said Neha Cadabam, Senior Psychologist and Executive Director at Cadabams Hospitals.

“As screen time increased during the pandemic, children also got hooked on to reels and short format videos, which affected their attention spans. It also caused over visual stimulation, which is also a contributing factor to the increased symptoms. The content online is not soothing, but instead very stimulating. Apart from this, there is also a lot of awareness about ADHD now with even celebrities coming out and speaking about it. The stigma has reduced and hence more cases are getting reported,” Ms. Cadabam said.

Doctors say that it is very important to make the distinction between ADHD symptoms and it presenting as a disorder, as the latter can only be found out by a comprehensive evaluation.

“Definitely, children might be having attention problems and getting distracted easily post pandemic. Some children might also experience restlessness or engage in fighting. For it to be called a disorder, it should be observed in both home and school settings. While 8-10% children might have ADHD symptoms, around 2-4% might have it on a disorder level. If parents and teachers have any concerns, it is better to get a comprehensive evaluation done,” said K. John Vijay Sagar, professor and Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NIMHANS.