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"Considering these factors allowed us to more accurately test the relationship between stimulants and substance use."

"Our study not only accounted for age, but also used a statistical method that adjusted over time for the many characteristics that may distinguish treated from non-treated individuals," said study co-author Traci Kennedy, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at Pitt. The study conducted at Pitt is among the first to address the relationship between childhood use of prescription stimulants and later SUD by accounting for dozens of demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors that may predispose an individual to treatment and substance use. Molina and her colleagues assessed patients with ADHD over a 16-year period from childhood through adolescence to early adulthood to see if there was any association between stimulant treatment and subsequent substance use.

Although ADHD can be managed with medication and other therapeutic approaches, it is a chronic condition that must be monitored throughout an individual's life. "Because stimulant medications are classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as schedule two substances with the potential for misuse, many people fear that harmful substance use could result."ĪDHD is a neurobehavioral condition marked by chronic patterns of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity, or a combination of the three, that affects a person's day-to-day functioning. "Stimulants are the first-line treatment recommended for most individuals with ADHD - the drug class is an evidence-based treatment with few side effects," said Brooke Molina, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, psychology and pediatrics at Pitt.

Published today in JAMA Psychiatry, the study may provide some reassurance to parents and clinicians who may be hesitant to prescribe ADHD stimulant medications for fear that they may lay the groundwork for future substance use.