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ADHD medication lowers teens' risk for STDs, substance abuse, injuries
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Pharmacological treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder significantly reduced the probability of adolescents contracting STDs, abusing drugs and alcohol, and becoming injured, according to recent research.
“ADHD is such a major issue, but no one seemed to be able to give a very definite answer to the long-term effect of the medication,” Anna Chorniy, PhD, of the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University, who conducted the research with Leah Kitashima, said in a press release. “For our sample population, we were able to see everyone who had an ADHD diagnosis and track their health over time to identify any potential benefits of the medication or lack thereof.”
The researchers used a panel of South Carolina Medicaid claims data from 2003 to 2013 to investigate the pharmacological treatment effects on 150,000 children diagnosed with ADHD. Chorniy and Kitashima specifically evaluated medication effects on the probability of risky sexual behavior outcomes, including pregnancy and STDs, substance abuse disorders and injuries, and followed physicians’ preferences to prescribe medications.
The investigation results indicated a strong correlation between ADHD medication use and the reduced probability and severity of short-term and long-term negative health results. In the 10-year analysis, children with ADHD who received pharmacological treatment were 3.6 percentage points less likely to be treated for an STD, 5.8 percentage points less likely to be screened for an STD and 7.3 percentage points less likely to need treatment for substance abuse vs. children who did not receive pharmacological treatment. Boys were less likely than girls to be treated (12 percentage points) or screened (25 percentage points) for an STD, but more likely to receive medical attention for drug and alcohol abuse (4.1 percentage points). In addition, the study analysis indicated that pharmacological treatment is associated with decreases in the following areas: probability of contracting an STD (1.1 percentage points); probability of being screened for an STD (1.9 percentage points); probability of abusing alcohol or drugs (1.8 percentage points); and probability of being injured (2.3 percentage points).
“Over the past decade, SC Medicaid spending on prescription drugs increased nearly threefold to $69 million in 2013,” Chorniy and Kitashima wrote. “It is important to understand whether the increased expenditures on treatment produced any benefit in terms of improved health (fewer and less injuries), reduction in risky behaviors that potentially lead to teen pregnancies, STDs and substance use and abuse.” – by Kate Sherrer
Disclosure: Chorniy and Kitashima report no relevant financial disclosures.
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