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ADHD Stimulants: Misuse Risks
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a common and debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder. ADHD has an estimated global prevalence of around 7% in both children and adults.
Amphetamine-type stimulants such as amphetamine, methamphetamine, and methylphenidate are FDA approved to treat ADHD. They have high-quality evidence of efficacy.
However, there is often reluctance by physicians to prescribe stimulant medication. There is also reluctance by patients or their parents to take stimulant medication. This often stems from stimulants’ known potential for misuse and diversion.
A major harm from stimulant misuse is the development of a stimulant use disorder. Prior studies of prescription stimulant misuse and diversion have had two key limitations:
- They have not focused specifically on patients with ADHD.
- They have not tried to identify risk factors for developing prescription stimulant medication misuse or diversion.
Review Question And Methods
This systematic review and meta-analysis by Forrest and colleagues aimed to
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