Observational studyBMJ mental health2025
Socioeconomic status and prescribing of ADHD medications: a study of ICB-level data in England.
Observational study in BMJ mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- Regional and national burden of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Asia, 1990-2023: a Global Burden of Disease Study 2023.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2026Article
- Roles and impacts of pharmacists in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder services: a scoping review.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2026Article
- Trends and patterns of medical stimulant use by US adults.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Prescription psychostimulants or atomoxetine and the risk of stimulant-related hospital admissions in adults with and without stimulant use disorder: a Swedish population-based within-individual observational study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Antipsychotic prescribing trends in England: role of regional disparities, health inequalities and ethnic density.BJPsych open · 2026Article
- Trends in use of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder medications among children and adults in five European countries, 2010 to 2023: a population-based observational study.The Lancet regional health. Europe · 2026Article
- Trends in recorded deaths involving antipsychotics: The role of deprivation, ethnicity, and regional disparities.PloS one · 2026Article
- Spatial inequalities and contextual correlates of methylphenidate dispensing in Jiangsu Province, China.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal study on the seasonal variation in methylphenidate consumption in the South African private healthcare sector.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2025Article
- Global Trends in ADHD Medication Use: Multiple Contexts and Rising Concerns-A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Impact of Social Deprivation on Diagnosis, Management and Outcome of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy at a Tertiary UK Centre.Journal of the peripheral nervous system : JPNS · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundLittle is known about the impact of healthcare structural changes and socioeconomic indices, such as deprivation, mental health needs, and inequalities, on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication prescribing across different regions in England.
objectiveThe objective was to examine trends in ADHD medication prescribing and explore their association with socioeconomic factors.
methodsA population-level observational study was conducted using the English Prescribing Dataset (from April 2019 to March 2024) published by the NHS Business Services Authority and the OpenPrescribing platform (Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science, University of Oxford). The study examined trends in five licensed ADHD medications at national, regional and integrated care board (ICB) levels, using linear regression and a generalised additive model to explore the association between socioeconomic factors and prescription rates.
findingsThe prescriptions increased significantly from 25.17 items per 1000 population in 2019/20 (pre-COVID-19) to 41.55 items in 2023/24 (post-COVID-19), with an average annual increase of 18% nationally. Methylphenidate remained the most prescribed medication, while lisdexamfetamine showed the highest growth rate (55% annually, 95% CI 40% to 71%, p<0.01). Significant regional variations were observed, with London experiencing the highest annual increase (28%), and the Northeast and Yorkshire the lowest (13%). Socioeconomic factors, including ethnicity and deprivation, were significantly associated with ADHD prescription rates (p<0.05).
conclusionsFindings reveal a substantial increase in ADHD medication use in England following the COVID-19 pandemic, with significant variations at regional and ICB levels and complex socioeconomic influences. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings highlight the need to understand and address drivers of disparities in ADHD care while optimising management strategies across diverse populations.
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