ADHD schoolkids '10 times worse' on Ritalin, dexamphetamine, study finds

ADHD schoolkids '10 times worse' on Ritalin, dexamphetamine, study finds

* By Stephen Lunn
* From: The Australian
* February 17, 2010 10:31AM


CHILDREN with ADHD who use prescription drugs to manage their condition were 10 times more likely to perform poorly at school than ADHD kids who avoided medication, a new report revealed.

The Australian reports the study also found stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and dexamphetamine made no significant difference to the level of depression, self-perception and social functioning of a 14-year-old with ADHD.

Those consistently using medication had significantly higher blood pressure at age 14 than children who had never taken drugs, a side-effect that could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke even into adulthood.

The report's co-author, Lou Landau, said the world-first study into the long-term effects of stimulant medication on children with ADHD, to be published today, showed "drugs over the long term don't have an impact on improving performance".

"They don't improve outcomes for those with ADHD, they make no difference to levels of depression, social functioning and self-perception, and for those on medication it is 10 times as likely that classroom performance will be below average," he said.

Professor Landau, principal medical adviser to the West Australian Department of Health, which funded the research, said that was not to say drugs should never be used to treat ADHD.

"There may be some children for whom the need to manage the condition in the short term will outweigh the long-term effects."

The report used data from the Raine Study, which has tracked the progress of more than 2800 families for two decades.

Parents of the 131 children diagnosed with ADHD under the study have provided information since the children were born. The outcomes were measured when the children were 14 years old.

Read more about the study which showed ADHD drugs affected schooling at The Australian

Related Coverage

* Drugs links properly `managed' The Australian, 24 Nov 2009
* Review of 'tainted' ADHD guidelines The Australian, 23 Nov 2009
* School student hands out Ritalin Daily Telegraph, 13 Oct 2009
* Drugs send kids psychotic Perth Now, 13 Oct 2009
* Stealing drugs to fight school fatigue Daily Telegraph, 11 May 2009

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