“Because of this, people with ADHD often need to remain on treatment for several years. Professor Coghill said that ADHD is a lifelong condition for many people, that if untreated can result in serious negative outcomes. Project lead University of Melbourne Professor David Coghill, Financial Markets Foundation Chair of Developmental Mental Health, Department of Paediatrics, worked closely with ADDUCE project collaborators from the University of Hong Kong and across Europe. The ADDUCE project has undertaken a two-year naturalistic study to assess adverse effects of methylphenidate on growth and development, psychiatric, neurological, and cardiovascular health outcomes.
The European Union-funded Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder-Drugs-Use-Chronic-Effects (ADDUCE) project sought to address concerns about the long term safety of the drug. Methylphenidate was rejected by the World Health Organization (WHO) for inclusion in their Essential Medicines List (EML), because of concerns about the limitations and quality of available evidence of the medication’s harms and benefits. Left untreated, people with ADHD can be prone to a wide range of adverse outcomes like mental illness, low self-esteem, self-harm, substance misuse, exclusion from school and educational underachievement, and difficulties with employment and relationships. Published in The Lancet Psychiatry, a controlled, longitudinal study has shown that methylphenidate - sold under brand names Ritalin, Concerta and others – treatment for children and adolescents over two years did not lead to adverse growth and development, psychiatric, or neurological outcomes.ĪDHD - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder - is a chronic neurodevelopmental condition that affects seven percent of children and two percent of adults worldwide, and includes attention and organisational difficulties, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The findings have led experts to argue for the drug’s inclusion on a global Essential Medicines list. Long-term use of methylphenidate, the most commonly prescribed medication for treating ADHD, does not increase the risk of adverse developmental and psychiatric outcomes in children and adolescents, an international research team has found.
A controlled, longitudinal study shows methylphenidate - sold under brand names Ritalin, Concerta and others – did not lead to a group of adverse health outcomes for young people with ADHD.
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