Prescription of ADHD stimulants leads to rising in psychosis hospitalization

Iceland is experiencing a surge that is thrice more than many other years in the prescription of stimulants for attention loss hyperactivity syndrome. The market for such medications has experienced a 170% jump in the last decade. According to Vísir reports, 1 in every 20 Icelanders uses the drug. 

“More people are showing signs of psychosis which we linked to the prescription of stimulants for ADHD. The rise in the number of patients showing psychotic signs is rising appreciably,” said the head physician at the emergency department of Landspítali, Halldóra Jónsdóttir.

According to Jónsdóttir, the impact of psychosis on an individual’s life can be grave.  She explained that “When individuals go into psychosis, they are no longer in total control of their existence, and some have had to be admitted to psychiatric wards thereby losing their studies or jobs. Thankfully, the majority of individuals that go through the condition recover but have to discontinue taking the medication.”

The hospital is planning to start research as a result of the rise to find the link between psychosis ad ADHD said Jónsdóttir. The outcome of the research will likely be made public in the coming year. 

One of the contents of ADHD is dopamine, according to Jónsdóttir. When this chemical gets to a too high level, the individual can plunge into depression or psychosis. 

Jónsdóttir thinks it is important to re-evaluate some prescriptions for such stimulants. “Maybe we will find better options for helping ADHD patients instead of giving them stimulants. There are lot of alternative medications,” Jónsdóttir said.