title: Adults with ADHD: use and misuse of stimulant medication as reported by patients and their primary care physicians.
abstract: This study investigated the agreement on treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between adults with ADHD and the primary care physicians responsible for their treatment. Adults with ADHD and the primary care physicians responsible for their ADHD treatment completed a survey. The κ-statistic assessed physician-patient agreement on ADHD treatment variables. The eligible sample consisted of 274 patients with confirmed current or previous psychopharmacological treatment for ADHD and the physicians responsible for their treatment. We received 159 questionnaires (58.0 %) with sufficient information from both sources. There were no significant differences between participants and nonparticipants (N = 115) on ADHD sample characteristics. Participants' mean age was 37.6 years, and 75 (47.2 %) were females. There was high agreement for current pharmacological treatment for ADHD, current and last ADHD drug prescription, treatment for substance use, and misuse of stimulant medication. Agreement for nonpharmacological treatment for ADHD and treatment termination because of the side effects was low. A minority of participants from both sources reported misuse of stimulant medication. There was a moderate correlation between the physicians' clinical judgment and patients' self-report on current functioning. The study showed that primary care physicians and their patients agreed on the pharmacological but not the nonpharmacological, treatments given. They also agreed on patients' current functioning. Physicians and patients reported low levels of misuse of stimulant medication. The results show that pharmacological treatment for adults with ADHD can be safely undertaken by primary care physicians.
authors: Women and Children's Division, Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål, Building 31 B, 2nd Floor, Nydalen, P.O. Box 4956, 0424, Oslo, Norway, m.b.lensing@medisin.uio.no.
authors: Michael B
authors: MB
authors: Lensing
authors: Pål
authors: P
authors: Zeiner
authors: Leiv
authors: L
authors: Sandvik
authors: Stein
authors: S
authors: Opjordsmoen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D012651:Self Medication / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants