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Efficacy of Medication Only Treatment for ADHD

For ADHD, a comprehensive treatment plan incorporating behavior modification as well as medication is ideal. However, sometimes counseling just isn't feasible when the costs are factored in. It raises the question: Is medication enough on its own?

  1. Function of Medical Treatment

    • According to MedicineNet, medication plays a crucial part in treating ADHD. Medication controls ADHD symptoms and increases the effectiveness of behavior modification.

    Stimulant Medications

    • Stimulants are the most common type of medication prescribed for ADHD and come in short-acting, intermediate-acting and long-acting types which are prescribed based on the individual needs of patients. According to MedicineNet, these medications benefit 70 percent to 80 percent of patients.

    Non-stimulant Medications

    • Strattera is the only non-stimulant medication approved to treat ADHD. According to the Strattera website, it differs from stimulant medication because it is designed to work gradually and lacks the potential for abuse.

    Medical vs. Behavior Modification

    • According to MyADHD, a multi-modal treatment study of 600 children with ADHD done in 1999 concluded that stimulant medication had the greatest effect on ADHD symptoms while behavior modification helped to normalize behavior. Non-stimulant Strattera wasn't tested as it wasn't approved until 2003 for ADHD treatment.

    Analysis

    • Use of stimulant therapy is effective in treating ADHD symptoms alone and may be of significant benefit. However, medication-only treatment does not reverse learned behaviors due to living with ADHD and behavior modification remains necessary for some. The efficacy of non-stimulant medication as a stand-alone treatment is to be determined.

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