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New York, NY – June 25, 2025 – Qwoted Newswire A major Swedish study of 247,420 individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has found that medication treatment is consistently linked to lower rates of self-harm, accidents, and criminal behavior. The research, in JAMA Psychiatry, shows that people with ADHD experience fewer such adverse events during periods on medication compared to periods off medication. As expected, as less severe cases of ADHD are diagnosed and treated with medication, the reduction in adverse events narrows.
Dr. Ryan Sultan – Director of Integrative Psychiatry and a Columbia University Psychiatry Assistant Professor and internationally recognized ADHD expert – authored an invited commentary on the findings. “When used appropriately, ADHD medications help patients not just feel better, but live safer, more productive lives,” said Dr. Sultan. He noted that this growing body of evidence underscores how effective ADHD treatment yields real-world benefits beyond symptom relief.
As the population of individuals treated for ADHD has risen, the study found that the medication’s effect on reducing adverse events was less for the newly diagnosed than the previously diagnosed. In Sweden, ADHD medication use roughly tripled among youth and rose more than fivefold among adults from 2006 to 2020. During this period, the medication’s impact on outcomes like injuries and crime, while still significant, became less pronounced. “As we diagnose and treat more people with ADHD – including adults and women with milder symptoms – it’s expected that the average drop in severe outcomes like arrests or accidents will be smaller,” Dr. Sultan explained. “That doesn’t mean the medication is less effective for individuals; it just means we’re now helping a broader group, including those with less severe versions of ADHD. It underscores the importance of careful diagnosis and tailored treatment for each patient.”
Mental health professionals today recognize that many adults, including women, who would have been overlooked in the past now benefit from ADHD treatment. This broader inclusion is positive, as reductions in adverse outcomes such as self-harm, accidents, and criminal behavior are only part of the benefits of ADHD treatment. Dr. Sultan emphasized that the primary goal of ADHD treatment is to improve patients’ daily functioning and quality of life, outcomes that are not always captured by statistics like accident or arrest rates. The new findings highlight the need to regularly re-evaluate prescribing practices and guidelines as the patient population evolves.
Both the Swedish study and Dr. Sultan’s commentary are slated for publication in JAMA Psychiatry.
About
Integrative Psych is a Manhattan-based mental health practice and research clinic led by Dr. Ryan Sultan, MD, who is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Integrative Psych provides a holistic, evidence-based approach to ADHD and other psychiatric conditions, combining psychopharmacology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, ketamine-assisted treatment, mindfulness, and personalized care to improve everyday functioning and well-being. Dr. Sultan’s team is dedicated to advancing outcomes through both clinical innovation and real-world effectiveness research.
About Ryan S. Sultan, MD
Ryan S. Sultan, MD, Director of Integrative Psychiatry, an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a Research Scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. An internationally recognized expert in ADHD, he specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD across the lifespan and focuses his research on ADHD medication outcomes and public health.
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