アブストラクト | BACKGROUND: Symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are known to persist into adulthood in the majority of cases. AIMS: To determine the prevalence of methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and atomoxetine prescribing and treatment discontinuation in adolescents and young adults. METHOD: A descriptive cohort study using the UK General Practice Research Database included patients aged 15-21 years from 1999 to 2006 with a prescription for a study drug. RESULTS: Prevalence of prescribing averaged across all ages increased 6.23-fold over the study period. Overall, prevalence decreased with age: in 2006, prevalence in males dropped 95% from 12.77 per 1000 in 15-year-olds to 0.64 per 1000 in 21-year-olds. A longitudinal analysis of a cohort of 44 patients aged 15 years in 1999 demonstrated that no patient received treatment after the age of 21 years. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of prescribing by general practitioners to patients with ADHD drops significantly from age 15 to age 21 years. The fall in prescribing is greater than the reported age-related decrease in symptoms, raising the possibility that treatment is prematurely discontinued in some young adults in whom symptoms persist. |
ジャーナル名 | The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science |
投稿日 | 2009/03/03 |
投稿者 | McCarthy, Suzanne; Asherson, Philip; Coghill, David; Hollis, Chris; Murray, Macey; Potts, Laura; Sayal, Kapil; de Soysa, Ruwan; Taylor, Eric; Williams, Tim; Wong, Ian C K |
組織名 | Centre for Paediatric Pharmacy Research, School of Pharmacy, University of London;and Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK. |
Pubmed リンク | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19252159/ |