Why young people stop taking their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medication: A thematic analysis of interviews with young people.
Daniel Titheradge, Jo Godfrey, Helen Eke and 3 others
PMID 35102579WHAT IT FOUND
Young people with ADHD stopped medication when side effects outweighed benefits, or when they believed they had outgrown the condition.
Practical barriers like travel costs and moving house also caused unintentional discontinuation.
Key findings
01Participants stopped medication when they perceived adverse effects as outweighing the benefits, or when they believed ADHD was a childhood condition they would outgrow.
02Many young people viewed medication as a tool for school performance only, and stopped taking it once they left education.
03Life circumstances such as moving house, pregnancy, prison, or the cost and complexity of accessing services led to unintentional or forced discontinuation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study only interviewed young people who were currently engaged with services, so it may miss the experiences of those who have completely disengaged. The analysis did not separate data for stimulant versus non-stimulant medications, so findings may not apply equally to all drug types. The sample was drawn from UK NHS services, so findings may not generalize to other healthcare systems.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). One author, Tamsin Ford, received an honorarium from Takeda (a pharmaceutical company) for speaking at a nurses forum, but the authors state this had no influence on the study results or analysis.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that stopping medication is always a deliberate choice based on side effects. Many young people in this study stopped unintentionally due to life changes like moving house or losing access to services, or because they believed they had outgrown ADHD.