Do Stimulants Cause Substance Abuse Issues in Early Adulthood?

Background: Previous research has found that childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with an increased risk of substance use and substance use disorders in adulthood. There are different factors that may play a role in the risk of increased use of substances such as impulsivity associated with ADHD. Age and developmental stage may also contribute to this increased risk. Objective: To investigate if the use of stimulants for the treatment of ADHD in childhood increases the risk of substance use in adolescence and early adulthood while controlling for age and developmental phases. Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Participants/Methods: 579 children recruited from 1994 to 1996 from sites in the United States and Canada. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment groups: medication, behavior therapy, combination, referral to usual community care. The treatment period was from baseline to 14 months. Starting at year 2 after baseline, stimulant u more...