Can We Predict Teenage Substance Use in Children with ADHD Treated with Stimulants?

Starting stimulant therapy early and for a longer duration was associated with lower odds of substance abuse in late adolescence.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at elevated risk for developing alcohol and drug addictions as adults. Research has shown that stimulant medications themselves do not increase a child's risk for developing substance abuse problems (JAMA Psychiatry 2013; 70:740).

To study the effects of age of onset, duration, and type of medication therapy for ADHD on substance use during adolescence, researchers analyzed self-administered survey responses from a nationally representative sample of 40,358 U.S. high school seniors. Among the cohort, 3539 individuals (9%) had ever been prescribed stimulant medication therapy for ADHD and 1332 individuals (3%) had been prescribed only nonstimulant medication therapy for ADHD.

Ad…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics