Long-Term Effects of Stimulants in Children with ADHD

Stimulant use in boys with ADHD decreased risk for later psychiatric disorders in young adulthood.

Parents often are concerned about the long-term effects of stimulants on the subsequent development of psychiatric disorders. Investigators in Boston prospectively evaluated 112 boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; age at time of referral, 6–17 years; 100% white) for 10 years.

At the 10-year follow-up, participants were reassessed with structured psychiatric interviews at a mean age of 22 years; 82 participants reported a history of stimulant use. Stimulants were started at a mean age of 9 years and used for a mean of 6 years. Among the participants who did not report stimulant use, 33% reported treatment with nonstimulant medications, most often tricyclic antidepressants. At the 10-year follow-up, participants who used …

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)