Medication for childhood ADHD: Adults' outcomes and accounts after long-term treatment.
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Institute of Health Research
Abstract
This PhD project will assess outcomes for adults (aged 18+ years) who took medication to treat their ADHD for 3 years or more when they were children. MOCA will be a mixed methods project using qualitative research (Strand 1) to examine first person accounts that in turn inform epidemiological research (Strand 2). The research will involve PPI with parents of children with ADHD and adults with ADHD. These individuals may also be participants in the strand 1 studies.
An estimated 750,000 children and adolescents (aged 3-17) in Europe are currently taking medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with most prescribed methylphenidate. Clinical guidelines recommend drug treatment for severe cases of childhood ADHD, but evidence for benefits is largely drawn from randomised controlled trials in the US, most assessing medication use over short periods of time and with short term follow up. Work on adult outcomes has concentrated on reduction in ADHD symptoms and assessing public health concerns (e.g. criminality, substance abuse). To the best of our knowledge nobody has asked adults with ADHD themselves and parents of children with ADHD what outcomes are important to them, and tested whether these are improved by ADHD medication. Importantly, adult outcome data for those who received ADHD medication as children has only recently become available in the UK, as ADHD medication has only been given to children in large numbers relatively recently, so a cohort of young adults who have taken ADHD medication long-term is novel.
Research questions:
Strand 1
1) How do adults with ADHD regard medication, and what aspects of their lives have been affected as a result?
2) What adult outcomes after medication for ADHD are of most interest to adults and parents?
Strand 2
3) Does long-term medication for ADHD (>3 years) in childhood continue to have an impact on outcomes of interest (established in strand 1) at adulthood (5-10 years after medication initiation)?
Methods
Strand 1. Qualitative data will be collected via focus groups and semi-structured interviews with adults with ADHD, half of whom have taken medication for more than 3 years, and half who have never taken medication. An on-line survey will be conducted to establish which long-term outcomes are most important to people with ADHD.
Strand 2. Analysis of a UK population-representative cohort (the UK Millennium Cohort Study) will examine trends in ADHD medication data, and assess the association of long term ADHD medication with adult outcomes identified in strand 1.
Comparisons of the trajectories of individuals with diagnosed ADHD and >3 years medication, ADHD with no medication and no ADHD will be conducted utilising longitudinal repeated measures mixed effects modelling. The analyses will be controlling for ADHD severity using Strengths and Difficulties SDQ Hyperactivity scores. Where repeated measures on outcomes are not available, analyses will explore differences in outcomes between those with medicated ADHD, un-medicated ADHD and no ADHD.
An estimated 750,000 children and adolescents (aged 3-17) in Europe are currently taking medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with most prescribed methylphenidate. Clinical guidelines recommend drug treatment for severe cases of childhood ADHD, but evidence for benefits is largely drawn from randomised controlled trials in the US, most assessing medication use over short periods of time and with short term follow up. Work on adult outcomes has concentrated on reduction in ADHD symptoms and assessing public health concerns (e.g. criminality, substance abuse). To the best of our knowledge nobody has asked adults with ADHD themselves and parents of children with ADHD what outcomes are important to them, and tested whether these are improved by ADHD medication. Importantly, adult outcome data for those who received ADHD medication as children has only recently become available in the UK, as ADHD medication has only been given to children in large numbers relatively recently, so a cohort of young adults who have taken ADHD medication long-term is novel.
Research questions:
Strand 1
1) How do adults with ADHD regard medication, and what aspects of their lives have been affected as a result?
2) What adult outcomes after medication for ADHD are of most interest to adults and parents?
Strand 2
3) Does long-term medication for ADHD (>3 years) in childhood continue to have an impact on outcomes of interest (established in strand 1) at adulthood (5-10 years after medication initiation)?
Methods
Strand 1. Qualitative data will be collected via focus groups and semi-structured interviews with adults with ADHD, half of whom have taken medication for more than 3 years, and half who have never taken medication. An on-line survey will be conducted to establish which long-term outcomes are most important to people with ADHD.
Strand 2. Analysis of a UK population-representative cohort (the UK Millennium Cohort Study) will examine trends in ADHD medication data, and assess the association of long term ADHD medication with adult outcomes identified in strand 1.
Comparisons of the trajectories of individuals with diagnosed ADHD and >3 years medication, ADHD with no medication and no ADHD will be conducted utilising longitudinal repeated measures mixed effects modelling. The analyses will be controlling for ADHD severity using Strengths and Difficulties SDQ Hyperactivity scores. Where repeated measures on outcomes are not available, analyses will explore differences in outcomes between those with medicated ADHD, un-medicated ADHD and no ADHD.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR/N013794/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2399909 | Studentship | MR/N013794/1 | 01/10/2020 | 11/12/2023 | Elinor Jones |