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The past 15 years have seen large increases in stimulant prescriptions and in the nonmedical use of stimulants by adolescents in the U.S. and Canada. Researchers investigated these phenomena, medication diversion (giving away or selling pills), and prevalence of ADHD among 12,990 adolescents (mean age, 15) in the four Atlantic Canadian provinces. The cross-sectional survey included a validated six-item ADHD screening tool and questions about demographics, use of various substances, and depressive symptoms.
Six percent of students screened positive for ADHD, with a similar prevalence rate for males and females. A positive screen was associated with poor grades, heavy episodic drinking, and depression. Only 2.8% of students had taken prescribe…