MSGID: 1:317/3 64a64369   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Treating childhood ADHD with stimulant meds not associated with   
   increased substance use later in life, study finds    
      
     Date:   
         July 5, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Pittsburgh   
     Summary:   
         Children taking a prescription stimulant to manage ADHD symptoms   
         are not at a higher risk of substance use disorder as adolescents   
         or young adults, according to new research.   
      
      
         Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Children taking a prescription stimulant to manage symptoms of attention   
   deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not have more substance use or   
   substance use disorder (SUD) as adolescents or young adults, according   
   to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School   
   of Medicine.   
      
   Published today in JAMA Psychiatry,the study may provide some reassurance   
   to parents and clinicians who may be hesitant to prescribe ADHD   
   stimulant medications for fear that they may lay the groundwork for   
   future substance use.   
      
   "Stimulants are the first-line treatment recommended for most individuals   
   with ADHD -- the drug class is an evidence-based treatment with few side   
   effects," said Brooke Molina, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, psychology   
   and pediatrics at Pitt. "Because stimulant medications are classified   
   by the Drug Enforcement Administration as schedule two substances with   
   the potential for misuse, many people fear that harmful substance use   
   could result."  ADHD is a neurobehavioral condition marked by chronic   
   patterns of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity, or a combination of   
   the three, that affects a person's day-to-day functioning. Although ADHD   
   can be managed with medication and other therapeutic approaches, it is a   
   chronic condition that must be monitored throughout an individual's life.   
      
   Molina and her colleagues assessed patients with ADHD over a 16-year   
   period from childhood through adolescence to early adulthood to see if   
   there was any association between stimulant treatment and subsequent   
   substance use. The study conducted at Pitt is among the first to address   
   the relationship between childhood use of prescription stimulants   
   and later SUD by accounting for dozens of demographic, clinical and   
   psychosocial factors that may predispose an individual to treatment and   
   substance use.   
      
   "Our study not only accounted for age, but also used a statistical method   
   that adjusted over time for the many characteristics that may distinguish   
   treated from non-treated individuals," said study co-author Traci Kennedy,   
   Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Pitt. "Considering these   
   factors allowed us to more accurately test the relationship between   
   stimulants and substance use."  While other studies have sought to   
   uncover and define a possible connection between prescription stimulant   
   use for ADHD and SUD, the association between the two has remained   
   controversial. The results of some studies suggested a protective effect   
   of prescription stimulant use on the risk of having SUD later in life,   
   while others failed to find an association.   
      
   When factoring in age and other time-varying characteristics, such   
   as household income, behavior problems and parental support, Pitt   
   researchers found no evidence that prescription stimulant treatment in   
   childhood provided protection against developing a SUD for adolescents   
   or young adults with ADHD. However, researchers likewise did not find   
   an association between stimulant use during childhood and increased   
   substance misuse in the future While some study participants self-reported   
   an increase over time in heavy drinking, marijuana use, daily cigarette   
   smoking and using other substances, an association with age was also found   
   for stimulant treatment, with older participants being less likely to   
   continue taking medication. When these trends were paired with rigorous   
   statistical analysis, results provided no evidence that prolonged   
   stimulant use is associated with reduced or increased risk for SUD.   
      
   "We hope the results of this study will help educate providers and   
   patients," Molina said. "By understanding that stimulant medication   
   initially prescribed in childhood is not linked to harmful levels of   
   substance use, I anticipate that parents' and patients' fears will   
   be alleviated."  Pitt researchers plan to study individuals who were   
   first diagnosed with ADHD and treated with stimulants in adulthood. The   
   study aims to learn if there are differences in the characteristics and   
   outcomes of these adults compared to people who were diagnosed and first   
   treated with stimulants in childhood.   
      
   Other authors of the study include Andrea Howard, Ph.D., of Carleton   
   University, Canada; James Swanson, Ph.D., and Annamarie Stehli, M.P.H.,   
   both of the University of California, Irvine; L. Eugene Arnold, M.D.,   
   of The Ohio State University; John Mitchell, Ph.D., of Duke University;   
   Edward Kennedy, Ph.D., of Carnegie Mellon University; Jeffery Epstein,   
   Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati; Lily Hechtman, M.D., of McGill   
   University; Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., of the University of California,   
   Berkley; and Benedetto Vitello, M.D., of the University of Turin, Italy.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Attention_Deficit_Disorder # Mental_Health_Research #   
                   Children's_Health # Controlled_Substances   
             o Mind_&_Brain   
                   # Mental_Health # ADD_and_ADHD # Child_Development #   
                   Illegal_Drugs   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Methylphenidate o Adult_attention-deficit_disorder   
             o Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder o   
             Controversy_about_ADHD o Bipolar_disorder o   
             Infectious_mononucleosis o Hyperactivity o Neurology   
      
   ==========================================================================   
      
    Print   
      
    Email   
      
    Share   
   ==========================================================================   
   ****** 1 ****** ***** 2 ***** **** 3 ****   
   *** 4 *** ** 5 ** Breaking this hour   
   ==========================================================================   
       * Why_Birds_Ancestors_Lived;_Other_Dinosaurs_Died *   
       Dissolving_Cardiac_Device_Treats_Heart_Disease *   
       Webb_Locates_Dust_Reservoirs_in_Two_Supernovae *   
       Earth_Formed_from_Dry,_Rocky_Building_Blocks *   
       Ancient_Volcanic_Activity_On_Moon's_Dark_Side *   
       Highly_Conductive_Metallic_Gel_for_3D_Printing *   
       Potent_Greenhouse_Gas_Could_Be_Abated_Today *   
       Polymer_Brains_for_Artificial_Neural_Networks *   
       Early_Apex_Predator_Sought_Soft_Over_...   
      
       * Time_in_Universe_Once_Flowed_Five_Times_Slower   
      
   Trending Topics this week   
   ==========================================================================   
   HEALTH_&_MEDICINE Fitness Genes Cholesterol MIND_&_BRAIN Child_Psychology   
   Creativity Educational_Psychology LIVING_&_WELL Fitness Healthy_Aging   
   Staying_Healthy   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Strange & Offbeat   
   ==========================================================================   
   HEALTH_&_MEDICINE   
   Grocery_Store_Carts_Set_to_Help_Diagnose_Common_Heart_Rhythm_Disorder_and   
   Prevent_Stroke DNA_Can_Fold_Into_Complex_Shapes_to_Execute_New_Functions   
   Everyone's_Brain_Has_a_Pain_Fingerprint_--_New_Research_Has_Revealed_for_the   
   First_Time MIND_&_BRAIN   
   AI_Tests_Into_Top_1%_for_Original_Creative_Thinking   
   Scientists_Discover_Spiral-Shaped_Signals_That_Organize_Brain_Activity   
   Illusions_Are_in_the_Eye,_Not_the_Mind LIVING_&_WELL   
   AI_Tests_Into_Top_1%_for_Original_Creative_Thinking   
   Amputees_Feel_Warmth_in_Their_Missing_Hand   
   Why_Do_Champagne_Bubbles_Rise_the_Way_They_Do?_Scientists'_New_Discovery_Is   
   Worthy_of_a_Toast Story Source: Materials provided by   
   University_of_Pittsburgh. Note: Content may be edited for style and   
   length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Brooke S. G. Molina, Traci M. Kennedy, Andrea L. Howard, James M.   
      
         Swanson, L. Eugene Arnold, John T. Mitchell, Annamarie Stehli,   
         Edward H.   
      
         Kennedy, Jeffery N. Epstein, Lily T. Hechtman, Stephen P. Hinshaw,   
         Benedetto Vitiello. Association Between Stimulant Treatment and   
         Substance Use Through Adolescence Into Early Adulthood. JAMA   
         Psychiatry, 2023; DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.2157   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230705115144.htm   
      
   --- up 1 year, 18 weeks, 2 days, 10 hours, 50 minutes   
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)   
   SEEN-BY: 15/0 106/201 114/705 123/120 153/7715 218/700 226/30 227/114   
   SEEN-BY: 229/110 112 113 307 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 291/111 292/854   
   SEEN-BY: 298/25 305/3 317/3 320/219 396/45 5075/35   
   PATH: 317/3 229/426