ArticleBMJ open2021
Changes in medical use of central nervous system stimulants among US adults, 2013 and 2018: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparative potential for generating spontaneous signals for abuse and dependence among drugs used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A disproportionality analysis in VigiBase®.General psychiatry · 2026Article
- Trends and patterns of medical stimulant use by US adults.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- The exponential increase in the number of prescriptions for ADHD medication between 2012 and 2022 in Poland in patients aged 5-59 years: a pharmacoepidemiological study.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Global Trends in ADHD Medication Use: Multiple Contexts and Rising Concerns-A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Psychotropic medications: a descriptive study of prescription trends in Tabriz, Iran, 2021-2022.BMC psychiatry · 2025Article
- Environmental Exposure to Pesticides and the Risk of Child Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Article
- Medical use and combination drug therapy among US adult users of central nervous system stimulants: a cross-sectional analysis.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Transcranial Stimulation for the Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder.Neurology international · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the 5-year changes in the adult medical use of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants with higher risk of dependence and evaluate the population characteristics of users and their medical and/or neurological conditions.
designCross-sectional study.
settingAnnual US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a stratified random sample of approximately 30 000 persons designed to produce national population estimates. It focuses on reported medical spending, medical services used, health status and prescription medications.
participantsAdults age 19 years and older who reported obtaining one or more prescriptions for amphetamine or methylphenidate products during two survey years, 2013 and 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Prescriptions obtained, the specific stimulant product and annual treatment days of drug supplied.
resultsIn 2018, an estimated 4.1 million US adults (95% CI 3.4 million to 4.8 million) reported prescriptions for CNS stimulants, having filled a mean of 7.3 (95% CI 6.8 to 7.8) prescriptions with a mean of 226 (95% CI 210 to 242) days' supply. Compared with 2013, the estimated number of adults reporting using CNS stimulants in 2018 increased by 1.8 million (95% CI 1.0 million to 2.7 million) or 79.8%. Most 2018 adult stimulant users reported taking psychoactive medication for one or more mental, behavioural or neurodevelopment disorders. Overall, 77.8% (95% CI 72.6% to 83.0%) reported some medication for adult attention deficit disorder, 26.8% (95% CI 22.2% to 31.5%) took medication for anxiety, 25.1% (95% CI 19.9% to 30.3%) for depression and 15.3% (95% CI 9.8% to 20.8%) indicated drug treatment for other mental or neurological disorders. Adult CNS stimulant use was higher in females, in younger age cohorts and among individuals of white race/ethnicity.
conclusionsAdult medical use of prescription stimulants increased markedly in 5 years and occurred in a population often reporting multiple mental or neurological disorders. Further action is needed to understand and manage this new resurgence in drugs with high risks of dependence.
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