A new study has found that adolescents treated with prescription stimulants for ADHD are not at increased risk for prescription drug misuse later in life. Published in Psychiatry Services, the study involved 11,066 participants who were monitored from ages 17 to 24.
Led by Dr. Timothy Wilens from Massachusetts General Hospital, the research addresses concerns that stimulant medications might lead to addiction. The results indicate that those who received stimulant treatment in their teens are significantly less likely to misuse stimulants as young adults compared to their peers who did not receive such treatment.
The study also highlighted that the strongest predictor of prescription stimulant misuse in young adulthood is misuse during adolescence. Dr. Wilens emphasized that stimulant treatment during childhood ADHD reduces the risk of later substance abuse by 60%, and longer durations of treatment offer even greater protection.
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