Attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications appeared to reduce the risk for suicide, drug misuse, transport incidents, and criminal activity, a new study showed.<\/p>\n
After adjusting for covariates, ADHD medications were associated with a 17% reduction in suicidal behavior, a 15% decrease in substance misuse, a 13% reduction in criminality, and a 12% decrease in transport accidents.<\/p>\n
Although randomized clinical trials have shown that ADHD medication can help alleviate core symptoms of the disorder, \u201cthere is less evidence on whether these symptom improvements translate to meaningful benefits in daily life,\u201d principal investigator, Zheng Chang, PhD, and principal researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, told Medscape Medical News.<\/p>\n
The study was published online<\/a> on August 13 in The BMJ.<\/p>\n Five Key Real-World Outcomes<\/strong><\/p>\n ADHD affects an estimated 15.5 million adults (6%) and 7 million children<\/a> (11.4%) in the US, with the rate of diagnoses<\/a> growing annually.<\/p>\n Randomized controlled trials often exclude a substantial portion of the population \u2014 approximately 50% of individuals taking ADHD medications \u2014 thereby limiting the applicability of the studies\u2019 findings in clinical practice, the investigators noted.<\/p>\n A 2024 study of 113 randomized controlled trials led by Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD, and NIHR research professor at the University of Southampton, Southampton, England, showed that<\/a> only stimulants and atomoxetine were effective at reducing the main symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity and inattention.<\/p>\n