Study finds children taking ADHD medication are at higher risk of depression
A study examining the relationship between depression and children taking
Association between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication and Depression: A 10-year Follow-up Self-controlled Case Study - PMC
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9048009/
Risk of Depression Spikes When Kids Take Ritalin - Mad In America
https://www.madinamerica.com/2022/05/risk-depression-ritalin/
Study Examines Relationship Between Methylphenidate and Risk of Depression
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/study-examines-relationship-between-methylphenidate-and-risk-of-depression
The study, conducted by researchers Yunhye Oh and Yoo-Sook Joung of the National Center for Mental Health in Korea and Jinseob Kim of Seoul National University in Seoul, analyzed the relationship between Ritalin prescriptions and the risk of depression in children using all medical records in Korea.
First, the research team collected data on 43,259 children aged 6 to 19 who were diagnosed with ADHD between July 1, 2007, and December 31, 2007. From those, they extracted 2,330 children who met the following criteria: 'prescribed Ritalin at least once between July 1, 2007, and December 31, 2016,' 'no history of depression diagnosis,' 'no prescription of atomoxetine (Strattera), which has been linked to depression,' and 'no specific events that could cause depression.' The data were analyzed to determine how likely these children were to develop depression compared with healthy children in a control group.
The analysis found that children diagnosed with ADHD were about 12 times more likely to develop depression than healthy children in the 90 days before they were prescribed Ritalin, which may be due to the behavioral problems at school and at home that led to their ADHD diagnosis.
If depression in children with ADHD were solely due to their condition, taking Ritalin should reduce their risk of depression. However, when children with ADHD began taking Ritalin, their risk of depression increased 18 times compared to healthy children.
'These results alone suggest that the underlying causes of depression may still be present while children are taking Ritalin, potentially increasing their risk of depression. However, once children stop taking Ritalin, their risk of depression drops to almost the same level as that of healthy children. This suggests that taking Ritalin is likely associated with an increased risk of depression.'
The research team stated, 'Our study suggests that the use of methylphenidate medication in young people with ADHD is temporally associated with the occurrence of depression. With the increasing use of ADHD medications worldwide, the benefits of methylphenidate should be carefully evaluated against the potential risks of depression in children and adolescents.'
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