Study: More students self-medicating with ADHD medication

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Mental health related issues from anxiety to depression are up among young people and health experts say some teens are self-medicating to cope with the pressure.

A new study released this week found 1 in 4 students reported misusing prescription stimulants that are used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD.

ABC11 spoke with Dr. Michael Steiner pediatrician and chief of UNC Children's Hospital who said substance misuse by adolescents is something they pay close attention to.

"These prescribed stimulant medicines are misused by some children. It's usually not the children for whom they weren't prescribed, it's usually other children who are able to get their hands on the medications. And it's mostly among the children, adolescents, and young adult age range." explained Steiner

The study looked at 231,000 students from more than 3,200 public and private schools. The data focuses on 8th, 10th and 12th Graders between 2005 and 2020.

Schools with the highest rates of teens using prescribed ADHD medications were 36% more likely to have students misuse prescription stimulants.

"There are definitely people who misuse them related to performance. And, again, that is really risky behavior. Students may drink caffeine or something like that, to stay up. This would be on the extreme, extreme, extreme end of that spectrum. And we certainly don't recommend," continued Steiner.

Bottom line: If used correctly medications like Ritalin and Adderall are effective. If not there are health risks associated with the misuse. "Children and adolescents who are appropriately prescribed these medications, they've been used for over 40 years and are incredibly safe, but with misuse, there are risks, there can be cardiac risks," explained Steiner.

The study also found middle school students were more likely to misuse stimulants than high school students.

Dr. Anthony Smith, licensed psychologist with Alase Center for Enrichment said middle school is a pivotal age for young children and often they're crying out for help in the wrong ways.

"Kids don't know what to do with the emotions that they're feeling, the anxiety, the depression, the symptoms of those two issues are causing a lot of situations where kids don't know what to do and how to do it. So we need to get them healthier ways to understand how to cope."

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Both Smith and Steiner said parents should talk with their children.

"Parents should definitely try to find positive outlets for their kids, make sure that they are doing things that allow them to stay active, stay connected," said Steiner.

"You need to have open communication with your adolescents. Talk about things like substance use disorder, misusing medications, and experimentation. These are medications that you need to keep under lock and key and keep a close eye on," said Steiner.