The diagnosis of ADHD and treatment with prescription medications have increased substantially in the past couple of decades.
1 in 4 middle and high school students may be abusing ADHS medications, according to a study published on Tuesday in the Jama Network Open journal.
Researchers analyzed data collected between 2005 and 2020 by “Monitoring the Future.” Which is a federal survey that has measured drug and alcohol use among secondary school students nationwide each year for nearly 50 years.
The lead author of the study stated that some schools had little to no misuse of ADHD medications, while in other schools, more than 25% of students had used the stimulants in nonmedical ways.
The medications can be abused to get high or combined with alcohol or other drugs to boost a high.
Schools in the suburbs in all regions of the United States except the Northeast had higher rates of teen misuse of ADHA medications.
Schools with more white students, and those with medium levels of student binge drinking, were also more likely to see teen abuse of stimulants.