Self-Reported ADHD Diagnosis and Illicit Drug Use and Prescription Medication Misuse Among U.S. Working-Age Adults

Results suggest that ADHD is a risk factor for higher illicit drug use and prescription medication misuse among U.S. working-age adults, even in the absence of a DUD. Clinicians working with adults with ADHD should assess use and misuse of a broad range of drugs and medications regardless of whether the person with ADHD has a co-occurring DUD diagnosis, and engage in therapeutic interventions when appropriate. Future national data collection efforts that include measures of drug use and medication misuse (e.g., NSDUH, NHIS, and BRFSS) should include measures of lifetime and current ADHD diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment history.