Taking medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may not lead to increased risk for substance abuse later in life, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry.
The report is based on an analysis of 15 previous studies, including 2,600 children and young adults with ADHD. Some of the participants were prescribed stimulants for treatment while others were not.
Kathryn Humphreys, a student in psychology at the University of California, and the study's lead author, found no increased risk in her analysis:
"The present study suggests that, on average, children who received stimulant medication treatment for ADHD are at no differential risk for these substance outcomes than their counterparts who did not receive medication treatment."
A previous study by Humphreys in 2011, reports AFP, found that children with ADHD were two to three times more likely than those not diagnosed with the disorder to develop substance abuse problems in adulthood.
Researchers believe, however, that ADHD medications are not the cause.
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