The Big Picture: Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine, “Taking ADHD medications as a young person does not increase the risk of substance use disorders later in life.”
Doctor’s Expert Insights about ADHD Treatments and Future Drug Use Risk in Columbus
Know this: “This new data should bring good news to families managing their children’s ADHD. The study shows that children treated with prescription stimulants for ADHD don’t have a higher risk of substance use disorder (SUD) later in life. This addresses a major concern about ADHD medication and its long-term effects. Remember, treating ADHD effectively in childhood lays a foundation for healthier outcomes in the child’s future. I also recommend that you be aware of nontraditional symptoms of ADHD in children such as trouble sleeping and irritability. Make sure that you talk to your healthcare team.” Dr. Puja Uppal, Family Medicine.
**Beyond the news: ** By dispelling the myth that childhood use of ADHD stimulants leads to future substance use disorders, this research opens doors for more robust conversations about the use of these medications in managing ADHD in Georgia. Ultimately, this should lead to improved long-term outcomes for individuals with ADHD.
Key Findings:
“Children aged 7 to 9 years with rigorously diagnosed DSM-IV combined-type ADHD were repeatedly assessed until a mean age of 25 years. Analysis took place between April 2018 and February 2023.” (Research Source)
Data Show:
The researchers looked at 579 children who were on average 8.5 years old at the start of the study. They used advanced statistical methods to analyze the data and determine whether there was any connection between taking stimulant medication for ADHD and later substance use.
After adjusting for various factors, like how substance use trends change as children grow older, and age differences, the researchers…
Read the full article here
