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Published Online: 1 February 2012

Stimulant Medication Use in Children: A 12-Year Perspective

Abstract

Objective:

The authors examined the utilization of stimulant medications for the treatment of ADHD in U.S. children during the period 1996–2008 to determine trends by age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, and geographic region.

Method:

The 1996–2008 database of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative annual survey of U.S. households, was analyzed for therapeutic stimulant use in children age 18 and younger. The data for 1987 were also recalculated for reference.

Results:

An estimated 3.5% (95% confidence interval=3.0–4.1) of U.S. children received stimulant medication in 2008, up from 2.4% in 1996. Over the period 1996–2008, stimulant use increased consistently at an overall annual growth rate of 3.4%. Use increased in adolescents (annual growth, 6.5%), but it did not significantly change in 6- to 12-year-olds, and it decreased in preschoolers. Use remained higher in boys than in girls, and it remained consistently lower in the West than in other U.S. regions. While differences by family income have disappeared over time, use of stimulants in ADHD treatment is significantly lower in racial/ethnic minorities.

Conclusions:

Overall, pediatric stimulant use has been slowly but steadily increasing since 1996, primarily as a result of greater use in adolescents. Use in preschoolers remains low and has declined over time. Important variations related to racial/ethnic background and geographic region persist, thus indicating a substantial heterogeneity in the approach to the treatment of ADHD in U.S. communities.

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Information

Published In

Go to American Journal of Psychiatry
Go to American Journal of Psychiatry
American Journal of Psychiatry
Pages: 160 - 166
PubMed: 22420039

History

Received: 9 March 2011
Revision received: 10 June 2011
Revision received: 12 July 2011
Accepted: 15 July 2011
Published online: 1 February 2012
Published in print: February 2012

Authors

Details

Samuel H. Zuvekas, Ph.D.
From the Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Md., and the Division of Services and Intervention Research, Bethesda, Md.
Benedetto Vitiello, M.D.
From the Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Md., and the Division of Services and Intervention Research, Bethesda, Md.

Notes

Address correspondence to Dr. Vitiello ([email protected]).

Funding Information

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

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