Prevalence, predictors, and long-term outcomes associated with ADHD medication prescribing among children and young people in Northern Ireland: a longitudinal administrative data linkage study

Background:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children and young people (CYP) worldwide. Over recent decades, rates of prescribing of ADHD medications have soared in the United Kingdom (UK). This has been driven by increases in rates of assessment and treatment, longer treatment durations, earlier age of treatment initiation, and a lack of psychotherapeutic interventions. While research on the prevalence of prescribing of ADHD medications is gradually accumulating, the predictors and long-term outcomes associated with ADHD medication prescribing remains a neglected area of research within the NI and wider UK context. This is problematic since ADHD medications are the most commonly prescribed psychotropic medications for CYP, and so may have implications for broader psychotropic prescribing beyond childhood.

Aim:

In collaboration with stakeholders from statutory, voluntary and community sectors including Parenting Focus NI, Royal College of Psychiatrists NI, and representatives from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services NI, the proposed project aims to improve our understanding of ADHD medication prescribing among CYP in NI.

Specific aims of the project include:

• Determine the prevalence, incidence, and patterns of prescribing (i.e., the prevalence of concurrent prescriptions of ADHD and other psychotropic prescriptions occurring in the same calendar year for each year and overall, average time to cessation) of ADHD medications, stratifying by a range of important demographic and area-level factors.

(2) Examine the child, household and area-level factors associated with ADHD medication   prescribing.

(3) Examine the association between prescribing of ADHD medications and a range of long-term outcomes including employment, health, education, and psychotropic medication prescribing.