Trends in ADHD medication use in children and adolescents in five western countries, 2005-2012.
Over the last two decades, the use of ADHD medication in US youth has markedly increased. However, less is known about ADHD medication use among European children and adolescents. A repeated cross-sectional design was applied to national or regional data extracts from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) for calendar years 2005/2006-2012. The prevalence of ADHD medication use was assessed, stratified by age and sex. Furthermore, the most commonly prescribed ADHD medications were assessed. ADHD medication use prevalence increased from 1.8% to 3.9% in the Netherlands cohort (relative increase: +111.9%), from 3.3% to 3.7% in the US cohort (+10.7%), from 1.3% to 2.2% in the German cohort (+62.4%), from 0.4% to 1.5% in the Danish cohort (+302.7%), and from 0.3% to 0.5% in the UK cohort (+56.6%). ADHD medication use was highest in 10-14-year olds, peaking in the Netherlands (7.1%) and the US (8.8%). Methylphenidate use predominated in Europe, whereas in the US amphetamines were nearly as common as methylphenidate. Although there was a substantially greater use of ADHD medications in the US cohort, there was a relatively greater increase in ADHD medication use in youth in the four European countries. ADHD medication use patterns in the US differed markedly from those in western European countries.
Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: chrstn.bchmnn@gmail.com.
Christian J
CJ
Bachmann
Department of Primary Care and Population Health, University College London Medical School, London, United Kingdom; Population, Policy and Practice, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.
Linda P
LP
Wijlaars
Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Luuk J
LJ
Kalverdijk
Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Mehmet
M
Burcu
Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, Germany.
Gerd
G
Glaeske
Unit of Pharmacotherapy, -Epidemiology and -Economics, Department of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
Catharina C M
CCM
Schuiling-Veninga
Department of Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany.
Falk
F
Hoffmann
Life Science Team, Bech-Bruun Law Firm, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Lise
L
Aagaard
Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Julie M
JM
Zito
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants
Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Child; Methylphenidate; Pharmacoepidemiology