MAHA Commission Means Fear, Stigma, Health Threats for Two-Thirds of ADDitude Readers

April 11, 2025In 44 days, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission says it will deliver to President Trump a report — based on existing research, public hearings, roundtables, and meetings but not new studies — on the scope, causes, and treatments related to childhood chronic disease.

In its founding documents, the MAHA Commission, chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., singled out autoimmune diseases, autism, and ADHD, which it said “pose a dire threat to the American people and our way of life” and “harm us, our economy, and our security.”Medical professionals and advocates were swift to condemn the commission’s stigmatizing portrayal of ADHD and autism as “a dire threat,” and challenged its suggestion that chronic conditions like these may be caused by “over-utilization of medication, certain food ingredients, certain chemicals and other exposures” — claims not supported by accepted scientific knowledge and research.

Of greatest concern to caregivers and patients with ADHD was the commission’s vow to “assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs.” As countless ADDitude readers have said to us: Stimulants are not a threat; they are an essential and effective treatment that mitigates threats to our wellbeing.

Many expressed fear that the commission’s actions could restrict access to their prescription medication. While the commission said it would rely on “transparency and open-source data,” it has not held any reported public hearings or meetings with ADHD experts since it was established in February.