Up to one in four middle school or high school kids report misusing prescription stimulants intended to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
That’s according to a JAMA Network Open cross-sectional study of 231, 141 students in 3284 secondary schools.
The report says that “school-level past-year prescription stimulant non-medical use” went as high as 25% and beyond in US schools.
Students attending schools with the highest rates of stimulant therapy for ADHD had 36% increased odds of non-medical prescription stimulant use compared to students attending schools with the lowest rates.
The diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prescribing of stimulant therapy for ADHD have increased substantially in the US over the past 2 decades, with recent estimates indicating one in every nine 12th graders report lifetime stimulant therapy for ADHD.
Studies have linked many exposures to ADHD and related disorders such as autism. The exposures include food dyes and preservatives, and vaccines and other medicines, combined with a child’s genetic predispositions.
Read JAMA study here.
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