A new study from TIMESPAN partners at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) provides compelling real-world evidence for the benefits of ADHD medication across multiple areas of life. Published in The BMJ, the study found that ADHD drug treatment is associated with significant reductions in the risks of suicidal behaviour, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality.
Using Swedish national register data from 2007 to 2020 and target trial emulation methods, the research examined over 148,000 individuals aged 6–64 newly diagnosed with ADHD. Of these, 56.7% began ADHD medication – most commonly methylphenidate – within three months of diagnosis.
Compared to those who did not initiate treatment, individuals who started ADHD medication had:
- 17% lower rates of suicidal behaviours
- 15% lower rates of substance misuse
- 12% lower rates of transport accidents
- 13% lower rates of criminality
Although reductions in accidental injuries were not statistically significant for first events, rates were lower for recurrent events across all five outcomes.
These findings represent the first comprehensive study to demonstrate the beneficial effects of ADHD medication across such a broad range of clinical and social outcomes. They provide robust, population-based evidence that pharmacological treatment can play an important role not only in managing ADHD symptoms but also in improving safety, wellbeing, and social outcomes for affected individuals.
🔗 Read the full study in The BMJ: https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj-2024-083658
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