ADHD Drugs Have Wider Life Benefits, Study Suggests

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: Drug treatment can help people newly diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to reduce their risk of substance misuse, suicidal behavior, transport accidents and criminality, a study suggests. These issues are linked to common ADHD symptoms such as acting impulsively and becoming easily distracted. Some 5% of children and 2.5% of adults worldwide are thought to be affected by the disorder -- and growing numbers are being diagnosed. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), confirm the wider potential benefits of drug treatment and could help patients decide whether to start medication, the researchers say. The researchers found taking ADHD medication was linked to reductions of first-time instances of:
- suicidal behavior - 17% - substance misuse - 15% - transport accidents - 12% - criminal behavior - 13%

When recurrent events were analyzed, the researchers found ADHD medication was linked to reductions of:
- 15% for suicide attempts - 25% for substance misuses - 4% for accidental injuries - 16% for transport accidents - 25% for criminal behavior

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