ADHD medication reduces risk of suicide and criminal behaviour, study finds
The wider life benefits of ADHD medication discovered
- A study by Sweden's Karolinska Institute found that medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) significantly reduces the risk of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality.
- The research, which analysed data from nearly 150,000 individuals in Sweden between 2007 and 2020, compared outcomes for newly diagnosed people who received medication versus those who did not.
- Among those starting medication, there was a 17 per cent reduction in suicidal behaviour, 15 per cent in substance misuse, 12 per cent in transport accidents, and 13 per cent in criminality.
- For individuals experiencing recurrent adverse events, medication led to even greater reductions across all five outcomes, including a 25 per cent decrease in substance misuse and criminality.
- Despite an estimated 2.6 million people living with ADHD in the UK, just over half are prescribed medication, prompting experts to highlight the need for greater awareness of the long-term risks associated with unmedicated ADHD.