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. 2024 Jan;65(1):100-111.
doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13807. Epub 2023 Apr 16.

Is age of onset and duration of stimulant therapy for ADHD associated with cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse?

Sean Esteban McCabe  1 , Olivia Figueroa  1 , Vita V McCabe  2 , Ty S Schepis  3 , John E Schulenberg  4 , Philip T Veliz  5 , Kennedy S Werner  6 , Timothy E Wilens  7
Affiliations

Is age of onset and duration of stimulant therapy for ADHD associated with cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse?

Sean Esteban McCabe et al. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2024 Jan.

Abstract

Background: To assess whether age of onset and duration of stimulant therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse during adolescence.

Methods: Nationally representative samples of US 10th and 12th grade students (N = 150,395) from the Monitoring the Future study were surveyed via self-administered questionnaires from 16 annual surveys (2005-2020).

Results: An estimated 8.2% of youth received stimulant therapy for ADHD during their lifetime (n = 10,937). More than one in 10 of all youth reported past-year prescription stimulant misuse (10.4%)-past-year cocaine (4.4%) and methamphetamine (2.0%) use were less prevalent. Youth who initiated early stimulant therapy for ADHD (≤9 years old) and for long duration (≥6 years) did not have significantly increased adjusted odds of cocaine or methamphetamine use relative to population controls (ie, non-ADHD and unmedicated ADHD youth). Youth who initiated late stimulant therapy for ADHD (≥10 years old) and for short duration (<1 year) had significantly higher odds of past-year cocaine or prescription stimulant misuse in adolescence than those initiating early stimulant therapy for ADHD (≤9 years old) and for long duration (≥6 years). Youth who initiated late stimulant therapy for ADHD (≥10 years) for short duration (<1 year) had significantly higher odds of past-year cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse versus population controls during adolescence. No differences in past-year cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse were found between individuals who only used non-stimulant therapy for ADHD relative to youth who initiated early stimulant therapy (≤9 years old) and for long duration (≥6 years).

Conclusions: An inverse relationship was found between years of stimulant therapy and illicit and prescription stimulant misuse. Adolescents with later initiation and/or shorter duration of stimulant treatment for ADHD should be monitored for potential illicit and prescription stimulant misuse.

Keywords: ADHD; Stimulant; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; cocaine; methamphetamine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest disclosures

Drs S.E. McCabe, V.V. McCabe, Schepis, Schulenberg, and Veliz and Ms. Figueroa and Werner report no financial relationships with commercial interests. Dr Wilens is or has been a consultant for 3D Therapeutics. Dr Wilens has published the book Straight Talk About Psychiatric Medications for Kids (Guilford Press) and co-edited books ADHD in Adults and Children (Cambridge University Press), Massachusetts General Hospital Comprehensive Clinical Psychiatry (Elsevier), and Massachusetts General Hospital Psychopharmacology and Neurotherapeutics (Elsevier). Dr Wilens is co-owner of a copyrighted diagnostic questionnaire: Before School Functioning Questionnaire (BSFQ). Dr Wilens has a licensing agreement with Ironshore (BSFQ). Dr Wilens serves as a clinical consultant to the US Minor/Major League Baseball, Gavin House, and Bay Cove Human Services. The authors do not have any additional potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

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