treating teens: recent publications

Anxiety is one of the most common comorbidities in teens and college students with ADHD, especially for girls. More than half of girls with ADHD will have some level of anxiety.When I’m considering how to proceed with treating comorbid ADHD and anxiety, I always think: “What’s driving the bus?”[Read: ADHD and Anxiety – Symptoms, Connections & Coping Mechanisms]For some people, the anxiety is a true, primary diagnosis.

Not available May 7? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.The increasing decriminalization of cannabis and cannabis-derived products has resulted in greater access to the drug and has reduced perceptions of harm related to frequent cannabis use.

Nobody likes taking medicine. So if a teenager doesn’t like taking medicine, I get it, one hundred percent. You can’t force it down their throats.

December 15, 2023Teens aged 18 to 19 are more likely than any other age group to stop taking prescribed medication for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study published in The Lancet.1 The study, which sought to determine the rate of ADHD treatment discontinuation across the lifespan, found that 61% of young adults (ages 18 to 24) discontinued treatment within a year of beginning it, almost double the rate of discontinuation in kids under 12.The retrospective, observational study analyzed population-based databases from Australia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK, and the United States, to track patterns of medication initiation, persistence, and discontinuation in the five years after starting treatment. Included in the study were 1,229,972 individuals (60% males, 40% females), aged four and older.The study revealed that one year after beginning treatment, medication was discontinued by:The age at which medication was most commonly discontinued was between 18 and 19 years old.The reasons teens, adults, and children stop taking medication are plentiful and varied.

Puberty is not for the faint of heart, and raising teenagers with ADHD requires an extra sturdy constitution. Hallmark symptoms of ADHD such as impulsivity and emotional dysregulation, combined with common comorbidities like depression and anxiety, put teens with ADHD at a higher risk for the following:A slew of recent research, however, has revealed that treating diagnosed ADHD may dramatically reduce the incidence of these negative outcomes in teens.

Q : My son’s best friend passed away suddenly. He doesn’t want to talk about it or return to the band where he and his friend shared their passion for music. My son is in counseling, but I’m wondering if children with ADHD process death and grief differently than other kids do?Your son likely understands the concept of death but does not have an adult’s coping strategies.

July 17, 2023Nearly half of people with cannabis use disorders also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)1, according to a new systematic review that also found almost a quarter (23%) of people with substance use disorders have ADHD.2Researchers found a positive relationship between severity of ADHD symptoms and likelihood of continued, increasing cannabis use and development of cannabis use disorder (CUD). They uncovered a host of structural changes that occur in the brains of young people who regularly use cannabis, however they also found a prevailing belief among many people with ADHD that the risk associated with cannabis use is low, and the benefits are high, particularly for the improvement of sleep disturbance, social anxiety, and executive functioning.

The transition to college is really exciting — and really anxiety-provoking. Academic expectations and demands on executive functions both spike as teens begin to independently steer all sorts of new responsibilities — from laundry to shopping for shampoo.

Teenagers are notoriously moody, irritable, and fond of isolating in bedrooms. Parents expect a degree of angst at the onslaught of adolescence — but for some teens, this angst exceeds healthy norms.

May 30, 2023Social media presents a “profound risk of harm” to children and teens, according to an advisory released by the U.S. Surgeon General this month that calls for systemic change to protect American youth and their mental health.

The mental health of teen girls in America is in crisis. With rates of depression, suicidality, sexual violence, and bullying at unprecedented highs among teen girls in general — and even higher for teen girls with ADHD — meaningful, comprehensive help is needed, and the sooner the better.But what does that help look like? We asked ADDitude readers — parents, educators, and clinicians — to tell us what’s needed to support and protect teen girls with ADHD.

Q: “When friends or classmates at school say that one of my favorite books or movies is bad, I feel very hurt. It doesn’t feel like they just disagree. It feels like a personal attack.

Q: My teen has ADHD, and sometimes, she can be very sensitive. When she confides in me, I don’t always know when I should give her advice and when to stay quiet and just listen. How can I tell which response is best?When your teen opens up, try to determine whether she just wants a safe space to vent or she is uncertain and seeking guidance.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a mood disorder that impacts millions of Americans every year. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration1:Among people diagnosed with ADHD, however, rates of MDD are far higher. It’s estimated that half of people with ADHD will experience a depressive episode in their lives.

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Q: “I’m so frustrated trying to get things done for my 16-year-old with ADHD. Whenever I bring up stuff we need to discuss or decisions we need to make, my son completely shuts me down. He gets angry and stomps off, tells me he doesn’t want to have these conversations, or gives me thoughtless answers to get me to stop.

Q: “My teen daughter has ADHD and is embarrassed to receive and use the accommodations set up for her at school. She hates being pulled from class for services that we made sure she received in her IEP. How should we handle this?”It is not uncommon for students to feel embarrassed when they are pulled out of the classroom for any kind of learning difference (LD) or ADHD accommodations.

March 16, 2022More than a quarter of teens who overdosed on medications used to treat anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had received a recent medical prescription for benzodiazepines or psychostimulants, according to a new study published in Pediatrics. 1For the study, researchers studied data from the commercial claims database on privately insured youth aged 15 to 24 who overdosed on benzodiazepines or stimulants in emergency rooms between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018.

executive functioning weaknesses. It is about demonstrating, teaching, and slowly abdicating control.The aim is to reach goals that may overwhelm your teen at first, and to do so in a measured, meaningful way. If the bar is too high or the timeline too fast, your teen may fail — and lost the motivation to try again.

college students (many of whom have ADHD) that there’s a tendency to skim through course syllabi.Even though most courses are on the college’s Learning Management System (LMS), it’s still important to actually read the syllabus closely before your first lecture. The few minutes spent on this will help you avoid a lot of unpleasant surprises and oversights.

treat ADHD symptoms:Stimulant medications are typically the first choice to treat ADHD symptoms because they work for 70-80% of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD)1. When stimulants don’t work, or patients experience severe side effects, non-stimulant ADHD medication is the most common second-line treatment.Non-stimulant ADHD medications are considered second-line or third-line treatments because the level of benefits and response rates are significantly lower.

Not available September 22? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Adolescence is marked by dramatic change — physically, emotionally, and socially.

Not available September 9? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Individuals with ADHD are enrolling in two- and four-year colleges and universities in increasing numbers.

Not available September 22? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Adolescence is marked by dramatic change — physically, emotionally, and socially.

Not available September 9? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Individuals with ADHD are enrolling in two- and four-year colleges and universities in increasing numbers.

college students with ADHD, some attending highly selective schools, what they’d learned since the pandemic began. Answers ranged from “not much” to “probably less than I would have if not for the pandemic.” They described boring lectures, posting on chat boards, and “pretending” to do labs instead of actually doing them.All agreed that successfully meeting their learning goals depended on personal commitment and effort, which is not typically the strong suit of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD).

Cape Fear Games in 2009, my husband and I had no idea that our boys would be diagnosed with ADHD. We didn’t know that board games would help us forge such powerful and meaningful family connections, or that game night would teach some skills even better than school.Twelve years and two children with ADHD later, we have a treasured collection of favorite board games that help to build skills like working memory, recall, focus, and strategic planning.

February 24, 2021College students with ADHD score half a grade level below their peers from freshman year onward and face a higher-than-average risk for dropping out of higher education, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.1Researchers reviewed annual psychological and educational evaluations of 201 college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD) — 97 receiving medication, 104 not receiving medication — and compared them to 205 college students without ADHD.

Not available February 2? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Parents today are weathering strong and turbulent emotions — their own and those of their adolescents with ADHD.

go directly to college after high school graduation. We found out the hard way that he was not ready to live on his own or complete college work independently.Our son struggled with ADHD in high school, and he struggled with ADHD in college.

Not available February 2? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Parents today are weathering strong and turbulent emotions — their own and those of their adolescents with ADHD.

FROM OUR SPONSORCollege can be stressful and overwhelming, especially now if your routine has changed due to COVID-19. If you are a college student with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), you have a responsibility to make sure you use and store your prescription stimulant medications safely – whether you are taking classes online, attending classes in-person on campus, or coming home for winter break.

Be authentic. If you follow me on Instagram or read my blog, you know I am a big believer in embracing our differences. They make us special! I was very clear in my college applications that I have ADHD — I even wrote an essay about it.

In adolescence, ADHD is associated with a set of distinct and measurable challenges — executive dysfunction, increased risk for substance misuse and automobile accidents, stimulant medication diversion, emotional dysregulation, high-risk behaviors, and more. Robust, long-term studies confirm that, if unaddressed, these teenage challenges can impact quality of life and general functioning well into adulthood.For best outcomes, clinicians must help patients and families understand how ADHD impacts the adolescent and young adult brain specifically, and how early care and interventions can have positive effects.

September 23, 2020A new cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for college students with ADHD was found to effectively reduce symptoms of inattention and enhance executive function (EF), according to a study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.1 Cognitive behavioral therapy is a short-term, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy that aims to change negative patterns of thinking and change the way a patient feels about their self, abilities, and future.

Not available August 26? Don’t worry. Register now and we’ll send you the replay link to watch at your convenience.Adolescents face many challenges (and thrilling new experiences) as they transition into adulthood — a passage that is often more difficult for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

July 17, 2020Substance use disorder (SUD) is more common in adolescents and young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), according to research that also found earlier use of alcohol and drugs among teens with ADHD than among their neurotypical peers.1 “Early onset SUD increases the likelihood of academic failure, suicidal behavior, and incarceration,” yet scant conclusive research exists on whether effective ADHD treatment helps to prevent adolescent SUD.

ADHD when she was in high school. Her story unfolds in other blogs I’ve written for ADDitude.

May 20, 2020