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Medication for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Risk for Depression: A Nationwide Longitudinal Cohort Study
Open accessAbstract
Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with high rates of psychiatric comorbidity, including depression. However, it is unclear whether ADHD medication increases or decreases the risk for depression.Methods We studied all individuals with a diagnosis of ADHD born between 1960 and 1998 in Sweden (N = 38,752). We obtained data for prescription of ADHD medication, diagnosis of depression and other psychiatric disorders, and sociodemographic factors from population-based registers. The association between ADHD medication and depression was estimated with Cox proportional hazards regression.Results After adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical confounders, ADHD medication was associated with a reduced long-term risk (i.e., 3 years later) for depression (hazard ratio = 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.51-0.67). The risk was lower for longer duration of ADHD medication. Also, ADHD medication was associated with reduced rates of concurrent depression; within-individual analysis suggested that occurrence of depression was 20% less common during periods when patients received ADHD medication compared with periods when they did not (hazard ratio = 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.70-0.92).Conclusions Our study suggests that ADHD medication does not increase the risk of later depression; rather, medication was associated with a reduced risk for subsequent and concurrent depression.
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“It is indicated in prospective studies that patients with ADHD, whether treated or not, are at increased risk for early death, suicide, and increased psychiatric comorbidity, particularly substance use disorders.71,72”
From Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents (2019) · cites this paper as [71]
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“A nationwide longitudinal cohort study using the Swedish national registers found that among more than 38,000 individuals with ADHD, ADHD medication was associated with a greater than 40% reduction in the risk for depression three years later. The risk decreased with the duration of ADHD medication use. Depression was 20% less common when patients received ADHD medication compared with periods”
From The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder (2021) · cites this paper as Chang et al., 2016
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Metadata
- Authors
- Chang, Z., D’Onofrio, B. M., Quinn, P. D., Lichtenstein, P., & Larsson, H.
- Affiliations
- Karolinska Institutet (SE)
- Indiana University Bloomington (US)
- Örebro University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Chang, Zheng
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 916-922
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4995143
- OpenAlex
- W2278520419
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4
- FWCI
- 9.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Vetenskapsrådet
- National Institutes of Health (UL1TR001108, TL1TR001107)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH102221)
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD medication, depression, psychiatric comorbidity, duration of drug use, mental illness, long-term risk
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Drug Prescriptions, Registries, Risk, Sweden, Time Factors, Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors, Young Adult
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