Methylphenidate Treatment and Risk of Psychotic Disorder

Does methylphenidate alter the long-term risk of psychotic disorder in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?This cohort study of a Finnish national multiyear birth cohort, using instrumental variable analysis, did not find an overall difference in the long-term risk of psychotic disorders in children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD who were treated with methylphenidate. Looking specifically at childhood (age <13 years) ADHD diagnoses, there was a potential protective effect of sustained methylphenidate treatment against subsequent risk of psychotic disorder.Methylphenidate treatment of ADHD may have a protective effect against psychosis in individuals diagnosed in childhood.

Corresponding Author: Ian Kelleher, MD, PhD, Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (ian.kelleher@ed.ac.uk).

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