Stimulant ADHD medication and risk for substance abuse.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There are persistent concerns of long-term effects of stimulant ADHD medication on the development of substance abuse.

Methods

Using Swedish national registers, we studied all individuals born between 1960 and 1998 and diagnosed with ADHD (26,249 men and 12,504 women). We investigated the association between stimulant ADHD medication in 2006 and substance abuse during 2009. Substance abuse was indexed by substance-related death, crime, or hospital visits.

Results

ADHD medication was not associated with increased rate of substance abuse. Actually, the rate during 2009 was 31% lower among those prescribed ADHD medication in 2006, even after controlling for medication in 2009 and other covariates (hazard ratio: 0.69; 95% confidence interval: 0.57-0.84). Also,

SUBMITTER: Chang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4147667 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature