A new study found that the use of prescription stimulants for ADHD among U.S. adults has surged in recent years, particularly among middle-age women.
Here are five things to know:
- The study, published March 19 in JAMA Psychiatry and conducted by researchers at the CDC, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health, found that the number of adults who have received ADHD stimulant prescriptions increased significantly between 2019 and 2022, with the sharpest rise among women ages 35-64. Among that age group, the number of prescriptions went from 1.2 million in Q1 of 2019 to 1.7 million in Q4 of 2022.
- Researchers also found that stimulant misuse was common, with 25.3% of adults prescribed the medication reporting misuse.
- Those using amphetamine-based stimulants such as Adderall were 3.1 times more likely to misuse medication and 2.2 times more likely develop prescription stimulant use disorder compared to those using methylphenidate.
- While stimulant prescription use rose significantly among women ages 35-65, their rate of misuse (13.7%) was lower compared to younger adults, especially women ages 18-25 (36.8%).