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Review
. 2026 Mar:86 Suppl 1:49-57.

[Factors associated with ADHD medication adherence and treatment outcomes]

[Article in Spanish]
Hali Temkin  1 , Kerri L Daniel  1 , Diana Martinez  1 , Julia C Bennett  1 , Paris A Nix  2 , Linh Nguyen  3 , Yen-Chi Le  3 , Bruno Kluwe-Schiavon  1 , Cesar A Soutullo  4   2
Affiliations
  • PMID: 41696840
Free article
Review

[Factors associated with ADHD medication adherence and treatment outcomes]

[Article in Spanish]
Hali Temkin et al. Medicina (B Aires). 2026 Mar.
Free article

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Introduction: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects 5 to 8% of youth and 2.5 to 4% of adults. Pharmacological treatments are among the most effective when treating ADHD, yet adherence to medication is still sub-optimal. We reviewed the literature on clinical and socio demographic factors that may influence adherence and compared it to our clinical data.

Methods: We conducted a targeted literature review on factors associated with ADHD medication adherence. These factors were compared within our sample of patients aged 3-18 with ADHD at the Child and Adolescent Mood Disorders Program (ChAMP) at (UT Health) - Houston. We assessed relations between measurement-based care (MBC) and socio demographic factors.

Results: We found factors associated with adherence rates included patient age, level of parental involvement, psychiatric comorbidities, familial psychiatric history, and socioeconomic status. ADHD medication adherence improved and symptom severity decreased over 24 months. Each additional year in age, multiple siblings, and =1 parent receiving psychiatric treatment were associated with greater symptom severity.

Discussion: Results suggest that MBC is a useful method for reducing overall ADHD severity and improving medication adherence in children and adolescents. Additionally, MBC programs should consider screening for and addressing family psychiatric history and household structure as these relevant factors affect ADHD medication adherence.

Introducción: El Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) es un trastorno del neurodesarrollo que afecta al 5‐8 % de niños y adolescentes y al 2.5‐4% de adultos. El tratamiento farmacológico del TDAH es seguro y eficaz, pero la adherencia al tratamiento es frecuentemente subóptima. Realizamos una revisión de la literatura sobre factores clínicos y socio‐demográficos asociados que comparamos con nuestros datos clínicos. Métodos: Revisión bibliográfica dirigida de estudios sobre factores que afectan la adherencia a la medicación en TDAH. Estos factores se compararon en una muestra de pacientes con TDAH, de 3 a 18 años, atendidos en el Programa TDAH y en la Consulta ChAMP de la Universidad de Texas‐Houston. Evaluamos la asociación entre resultados clínicos en pacientes, medidos mediante un modelo de atención basado en medidas (MBC) y factores socio demográficos. Resultados: Encontramos factores asociados a la adherencia, como edad, grado de implicación parental, comorbilidad psiquiátrica, antecedentes psiquiátricos familiares y nivel socioeconómico. La adherencia al tratamiento mejoró y la gravedad de síntomas disminuyó a lo largo de 24 meses. Cada año de edad, tener varios hermanos y =1 padre recibiendo tratamiento psiquiátrico se asociaron con mayor gravedad de síntomas. Discusión: Nuestros resultados sugieren que la MBC es eficaz para reducir la gravedad global del TDAH y mejorar la adherencia a la medicación en niños y adolescentes. Además, los programas MBC deberían considerar la evaluación y tratamiento de antecedentes psiquiátricos familiares y la estructura del hogar, ya que estos factores inciden en la adherencia a la medicación del TDAH.

Keywords: ADHD; MBC; adherence; children and adolescents; medication.

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