ADHD Research News
New ADHD research studies referenced in this week's ADHD in the News:
- Kishore, Shreya, and Orlee Guttman. CHILDREN WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C HAVE A HIGH PREVALENCE OF NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS. Presented at North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) 2024, Hollywood, Florida, November 7 – November 9, 2024.
- Referenced in “Study Finds Most Children with Hep C have Developmental Disorder, Learning Difficulty (HCPLive, November 10, 2024)”
- Lee, Dong Yun, et al. “Combined Methylphenidate and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.” JAMA Network Open 7, no. 10 (October 9, 2024): e2438398. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.38398.
- Referenced in “ADHD and Depression: Is it Safe to Combine Methylphenidate and SSRIs? (Psychiatry Advisor, November 12, 2024)”
- Madley-Dowd, Paul, et al. “Antiseizure Medication Use during Pregnancy and Children’s Neurodevelopmental Outcomes.” Nature Communications 15, no. 1 (November 15, 2024): 9640. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53813-1.
- Referenced in “Children exposed to antiseizure meds during pregnancy face neurodevelopmental risks, study finds (ScienceDaily, November 15, 2024)”
- Murray, Aja Louise, et al. “Early Emotion Regulation Developmental Trajectories and ADHD, Internalizing, and Conduct Problems Symptoms in Childhood.” Development and Psychopathology, September 16, 2024, 1–8. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579424001263.
- Referenced in “Tantrums in children could be linked to ADHD (Medical Xpress, November 21, 2024)”
- Person, Hannibal, et al. A POST HOC ANALYSIS DESCRIBING THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF LINACLOTIDE IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH FUNCTIONAL CONSTIPATION AND COMORBID NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS. Presented at North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) 2024, Hollywood, Florida, November 7 – November 9, 2024.
- Referenced in “Linaclotide Effective for Functional Constipation in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (HCPLive, November 9, 2024)”
- Sibley, Margaret H., et al. “Characteristics and Predictors of Fluctuating Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) Study.” The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 85, no. 4 (October 16, 2024): 57313. DOI: 10.4088/JCP.24m15395.
- Referenced in “Is Being Busy Good for People With A.D.H.D.? (The New York Times, November 13, 2024)”
- Young-Wolff, Kelly C., et al. “Prenatal Cannabis Use and Offspring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A Retrospective Cohort Study.” Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, May 13, 2022, 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001323. DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000001323.
- Referenced in “Cannabis use in early pregnancy not linked to ADHD or behavioral disorders in kids (PsyPost, November 8, 2024)”
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Diagnosis, Treatment, and Telehealth Use in Adults — National Center for Health Statistics Rapid Surveys System, United States, October–November 2023
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), October 10, 2024, 73(40);890–895
In 2023, an estimated 15.5 million U.S. adults had an ADHD diagnosis, approximately one half of whom received their diagnosis in adulthood. Approximately one third of adults with ADHD take stimulant medication; 71.5% had difficulty filling their prescription because the medication was unavailable. Approximately one half of adults with ADHD have ever used telehealth for ADHD services.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Ages 5–17 Years: United States, 2020–2022
NCHS Data Brief No. 499, March 2024
Data from the National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2020–2022, finds that 11.3% of children ages 5-17 in the U.S have ever been diagnosed with ADHD. See the breakdown by age group, race, ethnicity, family income, and insurance coverage at General Prevalence of ADHD.
Who Provides Outpatient Clinical Care for Adults With ADHD? Analysis of Healthcare Claims by Types of Providers Among Private Insurance and Medicaid Enrollees, 2021
Journal of Attention Disorders, March 18, 2024
This study from CDC researchers and CHADD PAB co-chair, Craig Surman, MD, finds that family practice physicians, psychiatrists, and nurse practitioners/psychiatric nurses were the most common providers for adults using employer-sponsored insurance, although the distribution of provider types varied across states. Lower percentages of adults with Medicaid received ADHD care from physicians. Approximately half of adults receiving outpatient ADHD care received ADHD care by telehealth.
ADHD medication and risk of cardiovascular diseases
Commentary by CHADD PAB member, Russell J. Schachar, MD, on Zhang et al. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medications and Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases, JAMA Psychiatry, November 22, 2023.
Trends in Stimulant Prescription Fills Among Commercially Insured Children and Adults—United States, 2016-2021
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 31, 2023
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Summary:
What is already known about this topic?
Prescriptions for stimulants, primarily used to treat attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), were increasing for adults before the COVID-19 pandemic. Policies enacted during the pandemic expanded access to prescription stimulants via telehealth.
What is added by this report?
The percentage of adolescent and adult females and adult males receiving prescription stimulant fills increased during 2016-2021, particularly during 2020-2021.
What are the implications for public health practice?
Growing recognition of ADHD in adults and increases in prescription stimulant fills raise questions about current adult ADHD care. Development of clinical recommendations for diagnosing and managing adult ADHD could help guide safe and appropriate stimulant prescribing. Evaluation of policies enacted during the pandemic could identify benefits and harms of those policies.