ADHD Medications Remain Linked to Lower Risk for Real-World Adverse Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, July 2, 2025 -- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medications remain associated with a reduced risk for various real-world outcomes, but the magnitude of these associations decreases alongside increasing prescription rates, according to a study published online June 25 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Lin Li, Ph.D., from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and colleagues examined the associations between ADHD medications and the change in real-world outcomes as prescription rates rise using data from a population-based study involving individuals who used ADHD medications in Sweden between 2006 and 2020. The rates of self-harm, unintentional injury, traffic crashes, and crime were compared during medicated versus nonmedicated periods.
A total of 247,420 individuals aged 4 to 64 years used ADHD medications between 2006 and 2020 in Sweden. The researchers found that across age groups and sexes and over time, ADHD medication was consistently associated with lower risks for self-harm (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.77 to 0.85), unintentional injury (IRR, 0.87 to 0.93), traffic crashes (IRR, 0.71 to 0.87), and crime (IRR, 0.73 to 0.84). As prescription rates increased, the associations between ADHD medication use and lower risks for unintentional injury, traffic crashes, and crime appeared to weaken. The weakening trend for unintentional injury and traffic crashes was not fully explained by changes in age and sex distribution of individuals receiving ADHD medication.
"While ADHD medications are consistently associated with reduced risk of serious real-world outcomes, the magnitude of these associations [has] decreased over time alongside rising prescription rates," the authors write. "This underscores the importance of continuously evaluating medication use in different patient populations."
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
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