Amphetamines add to psychosis risk in young ADHD patients

21 March 2019

Researchers at McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School have found that certain drugs prescribed to teens and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increase their risk of psychosis.

The researchers evaluated the two most common ADHD treatments and found that, although the risk of psychosis is low, it is greater for patients taking amphetamines – marketed as Adderall and Vyvanse – than for those taking methylphenidates – marketed as Ritalin or Concerta.

"The use of amphetamines in adolescents and young adults has more than tripled in recent years"Lauren Moran is lead author of the paper, the results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week.

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