ADHD in the News 2024-05-09

Adults with Medicaid More Likely to Receive ADHD Care from NPs Than MDs

The type of provider delivering outpatient care for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) differs by insurance type, according to study findings published in the Journal of Attention Disorders. Adults enrolled in Medicaid were more likely to have nurse practitioners (NPs) as their ADHD provider while individuals with private insurance most often received care from physicians.



Kids and ADHD: A Racially Diverse Analysis of Treatment Compliance

The Bottom Line: Roughly 9 in 10 of the adolescents studied were of Latinx or Black race/ethnicity, allowing for a more holistic view of ADHD medication use in these populations. After 4 years of follow-up, only about 30% of patients were still using their ADHD medication. In the case of pharmacological interventions—stimulants, mostly—parents and adolescents blamed side effects as the main reason for discontinuation.



Stimulant Use May Increase Heart Damage Risk in Young Adults With ADHD

Stimulant use for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could increase risk of heart damage in young adults, according to recent results published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.



The kids aren’t alright: Online surveys show growing concern over ADHD, psychosis symptoms

LISTEN: For the past decade, Mental Health America has used data from online surveys to gauge participants’ interests and likelihood of illness. The newest report shows an increase in screening for some things and decreases in others, like depression. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge reports.



Does your ADHD medication increase your risk of glaucoma?

In a recent study published in Eye, researchers assessed the risks of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and angle closure glaucoma (ACG) among users of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications.



ADHD Tied to Risk for Lewy Body Disease, Dementia, MCI

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults is independently associated with an increased risk for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), dementia, and nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment (naMCI), results of a new study showed.



ADHD diagnoses surge by 70 percent in elderly Americans, intriguing new data shows

The burgeoning crisis in mental health is often thought of as an affliction reserved for young Americans who are troubled by increasingly uncertain futures. But intriguing new figures suggest this is far from the case. According to a new analysis by healthcare data firm FAIR Health, diagnoses of mental health conditions like anxiety and depression have soared in older Americans, reaching a prevalence higher than ever before.



Amid ongoing drug shortages, AAP leaders call on HHS to identify solutions

The AAP, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) are calling on federal officials to lead discussions and identify solutions for ongoing shortages of stimulants and other medications that impact child health. A letter sent by the three organizations to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Drug Enforcement Administration asks the federal government to “convene all relevant stakeholders for a forum to discuss the impact these shortages are having on patients, families and their providers and identify actionable solutions that will alleviate these shortages.”



A Dynamic Model for the Clinical Diagnosis of Adult ADHD

CONFERENCE REPORTER: “ADHD is something that has historically been underrecognized, and even unrecognized, in adults, and because of that, there are a lot of myths that surround ADHD in adults.” In this Mental Health Minute, Shafi Lodhi, MD, a neuropsychiatrist based in California, gives Psychiatric Times® a preview of “ADHD in Previously Undiagnosed Adults: A Dynamic Insight-Oriented Model for Clinical Diagnosis,” his upcoming presentation at the 2024 American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting.



ADHD, Stimulant Use, and Failure to Thrive in Pediatric Patients

This 2024 APA Annual Meeting poster covered a literature review on the relationship between stimulant use and failure to thrive in pediatric patients with ADHD.



Exploring how the human brain stores and preserves information

Research into how the human brain stores information could lead to treatments for people who struggle with everyday tasks. Professor Jan Buitelaar, an expert in neurodevelopmental illnesses, is intrigued by a possible link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder—or ADHD—and memory.



Busy Philipps talks ADHD diagnosis, being labeled as ‘ditzy’ as a teen: ‘I’m actually not at all’

Busy Philipps lives a – well, busy – life. She’s raising two kids, Birdie and Cricket; her new late night talk show premieres next week on QVC+, not to mention her show “Girls 5Eva” is streaming now on Netflix; and she’s figuring out how to manage her ADHD. And she encourages others – especially parents – to do the same.



BigLaw firm introduces coaching and support for lawyers who have ADHD

There are law firms in which Carrie Garber Siegrist, a senior associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Goodwin Procter, might have had to be secretive about her diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. But at Goodwin Procter, Garber Siegrist says, she feels embraced and supported.



Unmasking the ‘Lost’ Mental Health Generation (Opinion)

[Excerpt] The "lost" mental health generation primarily comprises individuals who were children before the late 20th century, a period when awareness and understanding of ASD, ADHD, and bipolar disorder were significantly less than today and diagnostic criteria were not precise -- or they were non-existent (e.g., the term "minimal brain dysfunction" was commonly substituted for ADHD). During this time, these conditions were often misdiagnosed as behavioral issues or personality traits, leading to inappropriate treatment or no treatment at all during their formative years.