Duration of ADHD medication treatment among Finnish children and adolescents ‒ a nationwide register study

Abstract

Aim: To study the duration of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication treatment among children and adolescents by sex and age group in Finland during 2008–2019. Methods: This was a descriptive, population-based register study covering all Finnish children and adolescents aged 6–18 years who initiated their first ADHD medication treatment period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2019 (n = 40691). To establish the duration of use we collected data from the register of Dispensations reimbursable under the National Health Insurance Scheme register. The median follow-up time was 3.8 years (Q1 = 1.7, Q3 = 7.1). Treatment duration was calculated as the interval between the date of the first and last purchase with a cut-off of 365 days allowed between purchases. The durations were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival times. Results: The median duration of ADHD medication treatment was 3.2 years (95% CI 3.2, 3.3, Q1 = 1.0 95% CI 0.9, 1.0, Q3 = 6.8 95% CI 6.7, 7.0). Sex and age significantly influenced treatment duration (p