Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2010 Sep;107(36):615-21.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2010.0615. Epub 2010 Sep 10.

The changing prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and methylphenidate prescriptions: a study of data from a random sample of insurees of the AOK Health Insurance Company in the German State of Hesse, 2000-2007

Ingrid Schubert  1 , Ingrid Köster, Gerd Lehmkuhl
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The changing prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and methylphenidate prescriptions: a study of data from a random sample of insurees of the AOK Health Insurance Company in the German State of Hesse, 2000-2007

Ingrid Schubert et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The goal of this study is to assess changes in the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and methylphenidate prescriptions over the period 2000 to 2007 on the basis of data from a German statutory health insurance carrier.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from a random sample of insurees of the AOK health insurance company in the German state of Hesse for the years 2000 to 2007. Per calender year, 50,000 to 63,000 children and adolescents were retrospectively observed with respect to the documentation of ADHD diagnosis (ICD-10 diagnosis F90) and the prescribing of methylphenidate (ATC: N06BA04).

Results: In 2007, the overall prevalence of ADHD in all age groups (0-18 years) was 2.21% (95% CI: 2.09-2.34). This figure was 45% greater than the corresponding figure for the year 2000. The prevalence increased by a larger amount among girls aged 6 to 18 years than among boys in the same age group (+69% vs. +53%). In 2007, 1.06% (95% CI: 0.98-1.16) of the children/adolescents received at least one prescription for methylphenidate; this was a 96% increase over the prescription rate for 2000. A comparison of the two years 2000 and 2007 reveals a clear prevalence shift towards the older age groups, as well as an 82% increase in the average number of daily doses per recipient. Outpatient departments of child and adolescent psychiatry initiated more treatments in 2007 than in 2000.

Conclusion: The 1% prevalence of methylphenidate use among children and adolescents that was found in this study is the same as that reported in other European countries, such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Norway. A drawback of our study is its limitation to a single insurance carrier in a single region. Nonetheless, data of this type are useful for monitoring. The findings suggest further issues worth studying, e.g., off-label use or the indications for treatment in older age groups.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure
Figure
The percentage of insurees given the diagnosis of hyperkinetic disorder (HKD) and the percentage of insurees receiving methylphenidate prescriptions, according to age and year (2000, 2007)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Lohse M, Lorenzen A, Müller-Oerlinghausen B. Psychopharmaka. In: Schwabe U, Paffrath D, editors. Arzneiverordnungs-Report 2008. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer; 2008. pp. 773–817.
    1. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie u. a. (eds.) Leitlinien zur Diagnostik und Therapie von psychischen Störungen im Säuglings-, Kindes- und Jugendalter. 3rd revised edition. Köln: Deutscher Ärzte Verlag; 2007. pp. 239–254.
    1. Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der Entwicklung im Gesundheitswesen (ed.) Sondergutachten. Bonn: 2009. Koordination und Integration - Gesundheitsversorgung in einer Gesellschaft des längeren Lebens. www.svr-gesundheit.de/Gutachten/Gutacht09/ GA2009-LF.pd;letzter Zugriff 4.8.2009]
    1. Ferber L von, Lehmkuhl G, Köster I, et al. Methylphenidatgebrauch in Deutschland. Versichertenbezogene epidemiologische Studie über die Entwicklung von 1998 bis 2000. Dtsch Arztebl. 2003;100(1-2):39–44.
    1. Köster I, Schubert I, Döpfner M, Adam Ch, Ihle P, Lehmkuhl G. Hyperkinetische Störungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen: Zur Häufigkeit des Behandlungsanlasses in der ambulanten Versorgung aus den Daten der Versichertenstichprobe der AOK Hessen/KV Hessen (1998 bis 2001) Z Kinder Jugendpsychiatr Psychother. 2004;32:157–166. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances