Persistence of pharmacological treatment into adulthood, in UK primary care, for ADHD patients who started treatment in childhood or adolescence

• Published in: BMC psychiatry Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 219
• Main Authors: McCarthy, Suzanne, Wilton, Lynda, Murray, Macey L, Hodgkins, Paul, Asherson, Philip, Wong, Ian C K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 05.12.2012; BMC
• Subjects: Adolescence; Adolescent; Adult; Adulthood; Age; Age Factors; Atomoxetine Hydrochloride; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; Child development; Children; Children & youth; Computer programs; Data processing; Dextroamphetamine - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Hyperactivity; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Licensed products; Male; Methylphenidate; Methylphenidate - therapeutic use; Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data; Persistence; Pharmaceutical industry; Pharmacological treatment; Pharmacy; Propylamines - therapeutic use; Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Remission; Stimulants; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK

ADHD guidelines in the UK suggest that children and adults who respond to pharmacological treatment should continue for as long as remains clinically effective, subject to regular review. To what extent patients persist with treatment from childhood and adolescence into adulthood is not clear. This...