Long‐term use of methylphenidate continues to confer benefits

Abstract

Patients continue to receive benefits from treatment for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with methylphenidate after long‐term use, researchers have found. Some patients may be withdrawn from the medication, however. Therefore, all patients should be assessed periodically to determine whether they continue to need the medication. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, was conducted because, while long‐term use of methylphenidate for children with ADHD is frequent clinical practice, its benefits are unclear. They looked at whether the medication remains beneficial after 2 years. Methylphenidate, a stimulant, has been controversial in some quarters because it is a controlled substance, However, the first‐line treatment for ADHD is psychostimulant medication, such as methylphenidate. How long children should take is is a question, but 60% of children receive stimulant treatment for ADHD for more than 2 years, and this is increasingly common, extending even into adolescence and adulthood. This is partly due to the awareness that ADHD is not a pediatric‐only condition. The study, “Continued benefits of methylphenidate in ADHD after 2 years in clinical practice: A randomized placebo‐controlled discontinuation study,” was published online May 21 by the American Journal of Psychiatry.