Source: Fox News
Summary
A new Canadian study found that stimulant prescriptions for ADHD treatment have more than doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed data from January 2016 to June 2024 and found that the demographics of those receiving stimulants have shifted significantly, with a higher percentage of females and adults aged 25-34 receiving prescriptions. The researchers also noted that the time between a patient’s first ADHD-related healthcare visit and their first prescription shortened during the pandemic.
Our Reading
This guidance has been heard before.
The study’s findings align with what many mental health professionals are seeing in their clinics. The rise in ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions may be attributed to the pandemic, but it also raises questions about whether patients are receiving thorough evaluations. The shift in who is writing these prescriptions, with an increase in primary care providers and nurse practitioners, could be a contributing factor.
The advice sounds familiar, as the debate about the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of ADHD continues. The challenge is figuring out whether we’re seeing more of the disorder or simply the cognitive strain of a hyper-distracted world.
As the researchers acknowledged, the study has limitations, including lack of access to detailed medical records and uncertainty regarding whether these findings apply to all geographic regions.
The recommendation enters another phase, as the discussion around ADHD diagnosis and treatment continues.
It’s best to ask the physician you are seeing about their experience and expertise, but it’s also important to recognize that normal human difficulty is increasingly being pathologized.
Author: Evan Null
