A 13-year-old boy has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by a paediatrician, who rec…

Question

A 13-year-old boy has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder by a paediatrician, who recommends immediate-release dexamphetamine alongside a parent behavioural program. His mother telephones you, his general practitioner, in distress. Her own brother became dependent on amfetamines in his twenties, and she is convinced that giving her son a stimulant at school will start him on the same path. The boy has no tics, no anxiety disorder and has never used substances. Which one…

Accepted Answer

Stimulant treatment does not increase this risk

Answer

Atomoxetine would be safer and is preferred

Answer

Deferring treatment until age sixteen reduces the risk

Answer

Drug-free weekends will prevent later dependence

Answer

Untreated symptoms carry no excess dependence risk

More from Psychiatry