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Evie Fordham | Reporter on politics and health
Some medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may increase the risk of psychosis in young adults, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday.
The study found that teenagers and youth taking amphetamines like Adderall and Vyvanse were at a higher risk of developing psychosis than those taking methylphenidates like Ritalin or Concerta, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Psychosis is a serious mental disorder that causes break with reality, paranoia and even hallucinations.
Patients taking amphetamines were still at low risk of developing psychosis, but the finding is "worrisome," said Dr. Lauren V. Moran, the newspaper's lead author, according to AJJ. (RELATED: researchers who think that voice assistants, like Siri Perpetuate, have been stereotyped, have a sexless solution)
"The results are worrisome because the use of amphetamines in adolescents and young adults has more than tripled in recent years. More and more patients are being treated with these drugs, "said Moran. "There is not much research comparing the safety profiles of amphetamines and methylphenidate, despite the increasing use of these medications."
A bottle of Ritalin is on the counter of the Post Haste Pharmacy and Surgery Store on June 16, 2003 in Hollywood, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
The study examined the insurance claims of more than 220,000 ADHD patients aged 13 to 25 who had started taking amphetamines or methylphenidates between January 1, 2004 and September 30, 2015, reported AJC. Only one in 1,046 patients who started methylphenidate treatment developed a psychosis, but one in 486 patients who started amphetamine treatment developed it.
The National Institutes of Health funded the study.
Moran pointed out that "people who take a drug like Adderall for a long time, who take it as prescribed and tolerate it well, are not likely to encounter this problem (psychosis)," according to AJC. It would also take family history into account when prescribing Adderall and avoid prescribing it to patients who may be at higher risk of bipolar disorder because of their genetics, CBS News reported.
Medications are not the only way to treat ADHD, as patients can also fight with behavioral therapy.
Among adolescents and young adults #ADHD who received prescription stimulants, a psychosis of recent onset occurred in about 1 in 660 patients. Amphetamine use was associated with a higher psychosis risk than methylphenidate.
– NEJM (@NEJM) March 20, 2019
The American Psychiatric Association estimates that about 5% of children have ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. In fact, more than 10% of American children were diagnosed with ADHD in 2015 and 2016, almost double the number of diagnoses recorded between 1997 and 1998.
Some researchers say that the percentage of diagnoses increased is not bad news. Indeed, premature babies are more likely to develop ADHD and an increase in the number of ADHD diagnoses could go along with an increase in premature survival.
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