Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Medications Reduce Risk of Accidents, Injury, and Death

A new study just published reiterates a growing body of research that indicates that individuals with ADHD who take a prescribed medication for their condition overall provides a protective factor from accidental injury and even death.

In the largest investigation of its kind, the present study sought to determine whether ADHD medications (a) are associated with a decreased risk of mortality and (b) show a protective affect against emergency room visits, accidental injuries, and hospitalizations. Using medical records from 217,192 individuals with ADHD (ages 1–24), results show that use of any ADHD medication was associated with reduced mortality, unintentional injury leading to emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Stimulant medications showed stronger effects, reducing mortality, injury, and hospitalization, while nonstimulant medication only reduced risk of injury and hospitalization. Importantly, neither type of medication increased risk of death, underscoring their safety profile.

The present study adds to the growing body of literature documenting that ADHD medications are safe and that stimulant medications may offer a protective effect against accidents, unintentional injuries, and overall mortality.

It is important for parents to know about this growing body of research supporting the use of medication to treat properly diagnosed ADHD, and its long term benefits. It goes against the common and debunked myth that medication used to treat ADHD lead to addiction (it actually lowers it) or creates a "zombie" child. Those myths prevents individuals from finding potentially effective treatments for the condition in which medication is still at the top of the list for most powerful interventions for treating ADHD.

Vasiliadis, H. M., Lunghi, C., Rahme, E., Rochette, L., Gignac, M., Massamba, V., Diallo, F. B., Fansi, A., Cortese, S., & Lesage, A. (2024). ADHD medications use and risk of mortality and unintentional injuries: A population-based cohort study. Translational Psychiatry, 14(1), Article 128. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-02825-y