In recent years, there have been numerous concerns raised about the overdiagnosis of ADHD, with some researchers emphasizing how research and industry biases have fueled this. Additionally, there has been a greater spotlight on the use of stimulants for children diagnosed with ADHD. While many adverse effects of prolonged stimulant use have been explored, one of the less discussed consequences is the development of psychotic symptoms.
The researchers of this study sought to explore the proportion of individuals diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed stimulants who go on to develop psychotic and bipolar symptoms. By comparing existing research, they found some evidence of a causal link, with rates falling between 2.8 and 3.7%. As the authors note:
“Although not remarkably high, a 2.8% development of psychotic symptoms represents a non-negligible figure and lends further meta-analytic support to the 2007 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) change in the drug label for stimulants, alerting on the possible occurrence of psychotic symptoms.”
The rates of psychotic symptoms were significantly higher for individuals treated with amphetamines, such as Adderall, as compared to methylphenidate, such as Ritalin. Higher doses were also associated with an increased likelihood of developing psychotic symptoms. Meanwhile, data from the FDA finds that when psychotic symptoms are present, discontinuing stimulant use alleviates these symptoms in 90% of cases.
This is the first pooled study of its kind, and the authors stress the need for additional research. While the authors make a call for careful monitoring and psychoeducation when prescribing stimulants, the findings also highlight the need for alternative treatment options. As they note:
“Based on available studies, it was not possible to differentiate the effect of the medication from that of ADHD itself as we could not include a consistent control group of individuals with ADHD who were not treated with stimulants.”
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“it was not possible to differentiate the effect of the medication from that of ADHD itself”
Because ADHD isn’t a thing. And now I know the study is crap. Also the “need for alternative treatment options.”
This is likely another psychiatric shill article pointing out all the ways psychiatry is harmful from first principles, yet still quietly defending it, its drug-centric methods, its harmful pathologization, drinking up the kool-aid on how “real” the diagnostic labels are, how “evidence-based” the “treatments” are, and how necessary it is to have a profession full of privileged ivory tower snobs who’ve either never been through trauma, or have never *really* healed from it, telling people who deal with racism and sexism and abuse and violence both physical and structural on a daily basis, that the problem is in their brains and can be fixed with chemicals.
This is not a site that promotes social justice, it promotes psychiatry. I’d read the whole article but what fucking “psychiatry and social justice” website makes you pay to access psych shill articles? Just call yourself a psych journal and drop the social justice.
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Speed psychosis has been known about for decades. These drugscwere used as slimming aids till that was banned due to the risk of them being used for recreation.
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I remember when I learned the ADHD drugs were stimulant drugs, as a not too stupid person, who had the common sense to know the stimulants are largely illegal for good reason. I knew evil was in charge of the psych industries.
I do hope the psych industries, and the mainstream medical community, will some day garner insight into the common sense, of humanity. I’m pretty certain the Holy Spirit is handing out the common sense. Please consider praying two simple prayers, psych professions, et al. Please pray to awaken with the Holy Spirit. Then please pray to be moved by the Holy Spirit.
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What about the 10% of the people that stopped prescription stimulants, due to psychosis, and were still experiencing psychosis?
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Some of them killed themselves. I met their families at the suicide survivors groups.
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That’s very sad. Thank you for your comment.
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For those who are interested, the book “Parenting Your Child with ADHD: A No-Nonsense Guide For Nurturing Self-Reliance and Cooperation” proposes a non-medicinal approach for treating ADHD.
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This is not news. It’s been known for decades. I’m glad they’re at least publicly admitting it, but I doubt it will have any real impact on prescribing rates nor on informed consent processes.
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