Duration of ADHD Medication Treatment Among Finnish Children and Adolescents ‒ a Nationwide Register Study

Tiivistelmä

Aim

To study the duration of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication treatment among children and adolescents by sex and age group in Finland during 2008–2019.

Methods

This was a descriptive, population-based register study covering all Finnish children and adolescents aged 6–18 years who initiated their first ADHD medication treatment period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2019 (n = 40691). To establish the duration of use we collected data from the register of Dispensations reimbursable under the National Health Insurance Scheme register. The median follow-up time was 3.8 years (Q1 = 1.7, Q3 = 7.1). Treatment duration was calculated as the interval between the date of the first and last purchase with a cut-off of 365 days allowed between purchases. The durations were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival times.

Results

The median duration of ADHD medication treatment was 3.2 years (95% CI 3.2, 3.3, Q1 = 1.0 95% CI 0.9, 1.0, Q3 = 6.8 95% CI 6.7, 7.0). Sex and age significantly influenced treatment duration (p <.0001 and p <.0001). Boys had longer treatment duration than girls and the younger the subject, the longer the duration of usage. Boys aged 6–8 years (32.4% of the subjects) exhibited the longest treatment duration with a median of 6.3 years (95% CI 6.2, 6.5, Q1 = 2.6 95% CI 2.5, 2.7, Q3 = 9.4 years 95% CI 9.2, 9.6).

Conclusions

The duration of ADHD medication treatment among children in the real-world clinical setting goes well beyond the data available from randomized controlled trials and extends for several years especially among young boys.

Lue koko artikkeli (link.springer.com)

Tekijät

Terhi A. Kolari, Miika Vuori, Hanna Rättö, Eveliina A. Varimo, Eeva T. Aronen, Kari Auranen, Leena K. Saastamoinen, Päivi T. Ruokoniemi 

Lisätietoja julkaisusta

• Vertaisarvioitu: kyllä.
• Avoin saatavuus: kyllä.
• Koko viite: Kolari, T. A., Vuori, M., Rättö, H., Varimo, E. A., Aronen, E. T., Auranen, K., Saastamoinen, L. K., & Ruokoniemi, P. T. (2025). Duration of ADHD medication treatment among Finnish children and adolescents ‒ a nationwide register study. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 10.1007/s00787-025-02735-4. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-025-02735-4