Study Dismisses Association between ADHD Drugs and Suicidal Behaviour

New research knocks down previous assumptions that drug therapy for ADHD triggers increased risk of suicidal attempts.

Several researches earlier claimed that drug treatment for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) increased the risk of suicides. But a new study found the methods used in these small scale studies were limited due to which the results were uncertain.

ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders in children. It includes group behavioral symptoms such as inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. It is estimated that 3-5 percent of children and adults in the U.S. are affected by ADHD. This neurobehavioral disorder starts during childhood and is difficult to diagnose.

"Our work in several ways shows that most likely there is no link between treatment with ADHD drugs and an increased risk of suicide attempts or suicide. The results rather indicate that ADHD drugs may have a protective effect," says Henrik Larsson, researcher at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, who headed the study.

To prove the hypothesis the researchers at Karolinska Institutet evaluated the data of 37,936 patients in Sweden who were diagnosed with ADHD between 1960 and 1996. The subjects were followed from 2006 to 2009.

The researchers compared the rate of suicidal behavior when the patients were receiving ADHD medication and compared it with the rate for the same patients when they were not on the medications. Based on this model the researchers saw no evidence to support that ADHD medications increased suicidal tendencies

Most importantly the patients were compared to themselves and this allowed the researchers to look at the differences when they were on the medication to when they were not.

"Many epidemiological studies on the risks related to drugs fail to adjust for the differences between individuals who take the drugs and those who do not. This is a critical limitation given that the individuals on medication are usually more severely ill than the others," says Henrik Larsson.

The finding was documented in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).