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Online interest in ADHD predicts ADHD medication prescriptions in Australia from 2004 to 2023: A time-series analysis revealing COVID-19-related acceleration.

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Title: Online interest in ADHD predicts ADHD medication prescriptions in Australia from 2004 to 2023: A time-series analysis revealing COVID-19-related acceleration.
Authors: Sy-Cherng Woon, Luke (AUTHOR), Smith, David (AUTHOR), Alllison, Stephen (AUTHOR), Looi, Jeffrey CL (AUTHOR), Bastiampillai, Tarun (AUTHOR)
Source: Australasian Psychiatry. Jun2025, Vol. 33 Issue 3, p505-510. 6p.
Subjects: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Drug prescribing, COVID-19 pandemic, Data analytics, Medical care, Time series analysis
Geographic Terms: Australia
Abstract: Objective: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication prescriptions in Australia have grown sharply in recent years. We examined the association between online interest in ADHD and prescriptions. Methods: Monthly Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation PBS (RPBS) Item Reports of ADHD prescriptions and Australian ADHD-related Google Trends (GT) data (2004–2023) were sourced. We modelled the lagged effect of GT on ADHD medication prescriptions, using an autoregressive moving average model with autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity, adjusting for COVID-19 lockdown effects. Results were compared to a model of GT for pain-related searches and PBS/RPBS opioid prescriptions, and counterfactual alternatives: (1) ADHD-related GT and opioid prescriptions and (2) pain-related GT and ADHD prescriptions. We descriptively analysed additional ADHD-related online news data. Results: Annual prescriptions doubled from 1,424,904 in 2020 to 3,112,072 in 2023. ADHD medication prescriptions and ADHD-related GT considerably increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. GT had a statistically significant positive lagged association with ADHD prescriptions. Comparator models did not show statistically significant associations between GT and prescriptions. Online news data supported recently increased public interest in ADHD. Conclusions: ADHD-related online interest predicts increased ADHD prescriptions, which was accentuated during the pandemic. Studies are needed to evaluate causal pathways, health information quality and sociodemographic determinants. [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: Online interest in ADHD predicts ADHD medication prescriptions in Australia from 2004 to 2023: A time-series analysis revealing COVID-19-related acceleration.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sy-Cherng+Woon%2C+Luke%22">Sy-Cherng Woon, Luke</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Smith%2C+David%22">Smith, David</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alllison%2C+Stephen%22">Alllison, Stephen</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Looi%2C+Jeffrey+CL%22">Looi, Jeffrey CL</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bastiampillai%2C+Tarun%22">Bastiampillai, Tarun</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Australasian+Psychiatry%22">Australasian Psychiatry</searchLink>. Jun2025, Vol. 33 Issue 3, p505-510. 6p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attention-deficit+hyperactivity+disorder%22">Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Drug+prescribing%22">Drug prescribing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19+pandemic%22">COVID-19 pandemic</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analytics%22">Data analytics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+care%22">Medical care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time+series+analysis%22">Time series analysis</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication prescriptions in Australia have grown sharply in recent years. We examined the association between online interest in ADHD and prescriptions. Methods: Monthly Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation PBS (RPBS) Item Reports of ADHD prescriptions and Australian ADHD-related Google Trends (GT) data (2004–2023) were sourced. We modelled the lagged effect of GT on ADHD medication prescriptions, using an autoregressive moving average model with autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity, adjusting for COVID-19 lockdown effects. Results were compared to a model of GT for pain-related searches and PBS/RPBS opioid prescriptions, and counterfactual alternatives: (1) ADHD-related GT and opioid prescriptions and (2) pain-related GT and ADHD prescriptions. We descriptively analysed additional ADHD-related online news data. Results: Annual prescriptions doubled from 1,424,904 in 2020 to 3,112,072 in 2023. ADHD medication prescriptions and ADHD-related GT considerably increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. GT had a statistically significant positive lagged association with ADHD prescriptions. Comparator models did not show statistically significant associations between GT and prescriptions. Online news data supported recently increased public interest in ADHD. Conclusions: ADHD-related online interest predicts increased ADHD prescriptions, which was accentuated during the pandemic. Studies are needed to evaluate causal pathways, health information quality and sociodemographic determinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  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: 10.1177/10398562251315006
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        Text: English
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        PageCount: 6
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Drug prescribing
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      – SubjectFull: Medical care
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      – SubjectFull: Time series analysis
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      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Online interest in ADHD predicts ADHD medication prescriptions in Australia from 2004 to 2023: A time-series analysis revealing COVID-19-related acceleration.
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              M: 06
              Text: Jun2025
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