ADHD medications may cause psychosis in some, study finds

A new study on the effects of prescription drugs on people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder suggests that teens and youth may be at increased risk of psychosis with certain medications.

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The study, conducted by researchers at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, looked at adolescents and youth who had recently started taking two types of drugs – amphetamines (sold under the names Adderall and Vyvanse) and methylphenidates (marketed as Ritalin or Concerta) – used previously. treat ADHD.

The study showed that, even though the risk of developing a psychosis – a disease that affects the mind and makes people lose touch with reality – is low, the risk of developing this disease is increased among patients taking amphetamines.

"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 Dr. Lauren V. Moran, lead author of the article.

"There is not much research comparing the safety profiles of amphetamines and methylphenidate, despite the increasing use of these drugs," Moran said.

Moran said clinicians have long been observing "patients with no psychiatric history" developing psychosis "in the context of stimulant use".

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, examined the insurance claims of more than 220,000 ADHD patients aged 13 to 25 who started taking amphetamines or methylphenidate between January 1, 2004 and September 30th. 2015

According to the study, the researchers found that one out of 486 patients who started amphetamine had developed a psychosis requiring treatment with antipsychotics. One in every 1,046 patients started experiencing methylphenidate psychosis.

The study showed that the development of psychosis has occurred in people who have recently started taking amphetamines.

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)".

The paper, "Psychosis with Amphetamine or Methylphenidate in Attention Deficit Disorder," is due to be published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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