United States: Rates of stimulant prescribing that treats attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have risen considerably in the last decade. Specifically, some of the highest increases were during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The researchers who conducted the study about the emergency department admissions of adults included in Mass General Brigham published a new study according to which, if an individual has taken large doses of amphetamine such as Adderall, he or she is at least five times more likely to develop psychosis or mania. The results are reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
In total, those with past-month prescription amphetamine use were associated with a higher lifetime risk of new-onset psychosis or mania compared with those with no past-month prescription amphetamine use.
The risk increased for those consuming 30 milligrams or more of dextroamphetamine, which is equivalent to 40 milligrams of Adderall, the study found, medicalxpress.com reported.
What does the study reveal?
Prior researches have associated stimulants to psychotic and mania risk though data had been scarce on dosing being at risk.
According to Lauren Moran, MD, the lead study author and pharmacoepidemiology researcher at McLean Hospital, “Stimulant medications don’t have an upper dose limit on their labels, and our results show that it is clear that dose is a factor in psychosis risk and should be a chief consideration when prescribing stimulants,” medicalxpress.com reported.
“This is a rare but serious side effect that should be monitored by both patients and their doctors whenever these medications are prescribed,” Moran added, medicalxpress.com reported.
Moran said the study was informed by her prior clinical experience as inpatient psychiatrist. She and her colleagues at McLean would then find out that patients presenting with the first episode of psychosis would have their charts showing that they have been put on stimulant medication by their doctors.
The electronic medical records of Mass General Brigham patient encounters over the years 2005 to 2019 were analyzed to identify persons within the planned age group of 16 to 35 years, which is the typical age of onset for psychosis and schizophrenia.
Patient demographics All patients were referred from other affiliated hospitals in the Mass General Brigham health care system and admitted to McLean Hospital.
The researchers enlisted 1,374 people who had first-episode psychosis or mania as the insured participants. At the same time, the control group was made up of 2,748 patients hospitalized for other psychiatric conditions such as depression or anxiety.
The prospect of the comparison analysis of stimulant use over the previous month and other factors related to the activity and nostrum use to separate the stimulant’s sway solitary, medicalxpress.com reported.
The scientists found that the risk percentage among those who had exposure to any prescription amphetamine was around 63 percent, and those with high-dose amphetamine exposure were 81 percent.
Such findings suggested that for those who took prescription amphetamine, 81 percent of cases of psychosis or mania could have been curbed if not given in high amounts.