Why Do Children With ADHD Discontinue Their Medication?
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine factors associated with parent-reported discontinuation of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication. METHODS: The authors conducted a telephone survey of parents of children 6 to 18 years old who had recently initiated ADHD medication according to insurance claims. RESULTS: A total of 127 parents of children with ADHD who had recently initiated ADHD medication completed the survey (43% response rate); 21% discontinued the ADHD medication. Parents of discontinuers were less likely to report having discussed the risks and benefits of ADHD medication with primary care providers (59% vs 82%, P = .03) and were more likely to report psychological side effects (58% vs 21%, P > .001). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that both psychological side effects and perceived inadequate medication effectiveness were associated with discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS: Many children discontinue ADHD medication within the first year, often because of psychological side effects or perceived inadequate medication effectiveness. Improved methods for psychological side effect management, setting realistic medication goals, and assessing therapeutic success are needed.
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Existing treatments have side-effects that limit their acceptability, are only effective when administered, and may not be as effective for reducing daily impairments versus ADHD symptoms.
“Existing treatments have side-effects that limit their acceptability, 6 are only effective when administered, and may not be as effective for reducing daily impairments versus ADHD symptoms.7”
From A novel digital intervention for actively reducing severity of paediatric ADHD (STARS-ADHD): a randomised controlled trial (2020) · cites this paper as [6]
Documented dropout rates in traditional treatment trials and real-world settings exceed 10%.
“documented dropout rates of >10% in traditional treatment trials as well as real-world settings [15, 32].”
From Proof-of-concept study of an at-home, engaging, digital intervention for pediatric ADHD (2018) · cites this paper as [32]
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References 28 · Cited by 118
- Authors
- Toomey, S. L., Sox, C. M., Rusinak, D., & Finkelstein, J. A.
- Affiliations
- Boston Children's Hospital (US)
- Boston University (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Venue
- Clinical Pediatrics
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2012-05-14
- Volume
- 51
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 763-769
- ISSN
- 0009-9228 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-2707
- OpenAlex
- W2144997581
- Cited by
- 118
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 7
- FWCI
- 5.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Pediatrics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- U.S. Public Health Service (HP10018)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K24HD060786)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Family Practice › Medication Adherence and Compliance
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pharmaceutical studies and practices
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD medication, drug discontinuation, children, psychological side effects, parent-provider communication, primary care, medication adherence
- MeSH terms
- Assessment of Medication Adherence, Adolescent, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Data Collection, Female, Humans, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Male, Parents, Multivariate Analysis, Drug Monitoring, Medication Adherence
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