Medications cut motoring accidents in ADHD

JAMA Psychiatry (2017). doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659

Symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as inattention and impulsivity, may interfere with safe driving. Indeed, previous studies suggested that people with ADHD are more likely to be involved in motor-vehicle collisions than other drivers. However, researchers in the USA recently estimated that ADHD medications may reduce the risk of motor-vehicle collisions by about a fifth.

The researchers examined insurance claims made between 2005 and 2014 by 2 319 450 people with ADHD. The mean age was 32.5 years, 51.7% were female and 0.5% made at least one emergency department visit following a motor-vehicle collision. Men and women with ADHD were, respectively, 49% and 44% more likely to need treatment in an emergency department following motor-vehicle collisions than matched controls.