ADHD Medication Use Early In Life Leads to Problems

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ADHD Medication Use Early In Life Leads to Problems

People who took medications such as Ritalin and Adderall to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescence are at a high risk of substance abuse, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan.

Researchers on the study analyzed data from over 40,000 participants in the Monitoring the Future Study between the years of 2005 and 2014. The participants, all high school seniors, were questioned about ADHD medications and substance abuse.

It was found that one in eight of the high school seniors were prescribed and used medications for ADHD at some point during adolescence. Those that used the medication for a short period of time had a high risk for substance abuse later in life. The study also found that males were more likely to use medication to treat ADHD, but that did not cause the results to differ among genders.

This particular study did not state how later use of the drugs affected substance abuse risks.