July 22, 2024Teens who take prescription stimulants to manage their diagnosed ADHD face no elevated risk for later prescription drug misuse (PDM), according to a study published in Psychiatry Services.1Further, young adults with ADHD who took stimulants as teens are less likely to misuse stimulants compared with same-age peers who did not receive stimulant therapy.
The strongest predictor of prescription stimulant misuse in young adulthood? Prescription drug misuse in adolescence.The multi-cohort, U.S.
national longitudinal study included 11,066 participants, ages 17 or 18, who completed questionnaires every two years until the age of 24.
The questionnaires asked about the number of times participants used a prescription drug (benzodiazepine, opioid, or stimulant) without a doctor’s order.This study marks the newest exploration in a body of research on the relationship between stimulant use and substance use in people with ADHD, conducted by a team that includes Timothy E.