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Changing patterns of treatment and prescribers of stimulants for children, adolescents and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in New South Wales, Australia: evidence for a treatment bottleneck? – A database study.

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Title: Changing patterns of treatment and prescribers of stimulants for children, adolescents and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in New South Wales, Australia: evidence for a treatment bottleneck? – A database study.
Authors: Nielsen, Timothy C (AUTHOR), Nanan, Ralph (AUTHOR), Butler, Tony (AUTHOR), Nassar, Natasha (AUTHOR), Poulton, Alison (AUTHOR)
Source: Australasian Psychiatry. Jun2025, Vol. 33 Issue 3, p417-423. 7p.
Subjects: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Stimulants, Therapeutics, Young adults, Longitudinal method, Medical personnel
Geographic Terms: New South Wales, Australia
Abstract: Objective: Investigate the treatment patterns and prescribers of stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young people in New South Wales (NSW). Method: Longitudinal cohort study of persons born after 1983 and prescribed stimulants for ADHD as per the NSW Ministry of Health Controlled Drugs Data Collection. Results were analyzed descriptively: a) treatment prevalence by year; age; sex; b) speciality of prescribers over time; c) rate of transition from paediatrics to adult psychiatry. The main analysis covered 2003–2015, with data on general practitioner prescribing to 2023. Results: Treatment prevalence rates were highest at age 10 (22.8 per 1000 person years), declining among teenagers and stabilizing in adulthood at 2.5 per 1000. The childhood male treatment predominance (4:1) resolved to 1.6:1 in adulthood. Paediatricians were the main prescribers until age 20. The average annual percent increase in prescribers was: adult psychiatry – 13%, general practice – 20%, paediatrics – 2.6%. Only 6.3% of treated children had transitioned to adult psychiatrists by age 25; 50% starting treatment with adult psychiatrists had no previous treatment records. Conclusions: The proportion on treatment and the male predominance declined substantially with age. Future studies may determine whether increased prescribing by general practitioners and psychiatrists reduces treatment attrition during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Australasian Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Changing patterns of treatment and prescribers of stimulants for children, adolescents and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in New South Wales, Australia: evidence for a treatment bottleneck? – A database study.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nielsen%2C+Timothy+C%22">Nielsen, Timothy C</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nanan%2C+Ralph%22">Nanan, Ralph</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Butler%2C+Tony%22">Butler, Tony</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nassar%2C+Natasha%22">Nassar, Natasha</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Poulton%2C+Alison%22">Poulton, Alison</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Australasian+Psychiatry%22">Australasian Psychiatry</searchLink>. Jun2025, Vol. 33 Issue 3, p417-423. 7p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attention-deficit+hyperactivity+disorder%22">Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stimulants%22">Stimulants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Therapeutics%22">Therapeutics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Young+adults%22">Young adults</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+method%22">Longitudinal method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+personnel%22">Medical personnel</searchLink>
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  Data: Objective: Investigate the treatment patterns and prescribers of stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young people in New South Wales (NSW). Method: Longitudinal cohort study of persons born after 1983 and prescribed stimulants for ADHD as per the NSW Ministry of Health Controlled Drugs Data Collection. Results were analyzed descriptively: a) treatment prevalence by year; age; sex; b) speciality of prescribers over time; c) rate of transition from paediatrics to adult psychiatry. The main analysis covered 2003–2015, with data on general practitioner prescribing to 2023. Results: Treatment prevalence rates were highest at age 10 (22.8 per 1000 person years), declining among teenagers and stabilizing in adulthood at 2.5 per 1000. The childhood male treatment predominance (4:1) resolved to 1.6:1 in adulthood. Paediatricians were the main prescribers until age 20. The average annual percent increase in prescribers was: adult psychiatry – 13%, general practice – 20%, paediatrics – 2.6%. Only 6.3% of treated children had transitioned to adult psychiatrists by age 25; 50% starting treatment with adult psychiatrists had no previous treatment records. Conclusions: The proportion on treatment and the male predominance declined substantially with age. Future studies may determine whether increased prescribing by general practitioners and psychiatrists reduces treatment attrition during adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Australasian Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1177/10398562251313697
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      – TitleFull: Changing patterns of treatment and prescribers of stimulants for children, adolescents and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in New South Wales, Australia: evidence for a treatment bottleneck? – A database study.
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              Text: Jun2025
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