ADHD Medication: What Parents Need to Know | Part 1

Ryan & Mike take on ADHD kids' medication based on research and doctors, not social media. They cover untreated ADHD risks, debunk the psychiatrist myth, and put decisions with parents and prescribers.

Find Mike @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.grownowadhd.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Find Ryan @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.adhddude.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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[00:00:00] Start

[00:01:05] Why Parents Get Confused About Medication

[00:03:40] The Risks of Untreated ADHD

[00:06:46] Where Medication Misinformation Comes From

[00:10:15] Do You Really Need a Child Psychiatrist?

[00:13:34] Who Makes the Medication Decision

Citations

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2020). Clinical use of pharmacogenetic tests in prescribing psychotropic medications for children and adolescents. https://www.aacap.org/aacap/Policy_Statements/2020/Clinical-Use-Pharmacogenetic-Tests-Prescribing-Psychotropic-Medications-for-Children-Adolescents.aspx

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (2022). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Parents’ medication guide. https://www.aacap.org/App_Themes/AACAP/docs/resource_centers/resources/med_guides/ADHD_Medication_Guide-web.pdf

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. (n.d.). Pharmacogenetic testing. https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Pharmacogenetic_Testing-128.aspx

American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). What is ADHD? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Clinical care of ADHD. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/hcp/treatment-recommendations/index.html

Dalsgaard, S., Leckman, J. F., Mortensen, P. B., Nielsen, H. S., & Simonsen, M. (2015). Effect of drugs on the risk of injuries in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A prospective cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(8), 702–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00271-0

Dalsgaard, S., Østergaard, S. D., Leckman, J. F., Mortensen, P. B., & Pedersen, M. G. (2015). Mortality in children, adolescents, and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A nationwide cohort study. The Lancet, 385(9983), 2190–2196. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61684-6

de Vries, W., Boer, M., Stevens, G. W. J. M., & van Dorsselaer, S. (2025). Exploring concept creep: Youth’s portrayal of ADHD on TikTok. SSM Mental Health, 7, 100374.

Harpin, V., Mazzone, L., Raynaud, J. P., Kahle, J., & Hodgkins, P. (2016). Long-term outcomes of ADHD: A systematic review of self-esteem and social function. Journal of Attention Disorders, 20(4), 295–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054713486516

Myer, N. M., Boland, J. R., & Faraone, S. V. (2018). Pharmacogenetics predictors of methylphenidate efficacy in childhood ADHD. Molecular Psychiatry, 23, 1929–1936.

Shaw, M., Hodgkins, P., Caci, H., Young, S., Kahle, J., Woods, A. G., & Arnold, L. E. (2012). A systematic review and analysis of long-term outcomes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Effects of treatment and non-treatment. BMC Medicine, 10, 99. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-10-99

Wetterer, L. (2020). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: AAP updates guideline for diagnosis and management. American Family Physician, 102(1), 58–60.

Wolraich, M. L., Hagan, J. F., Allan, C., Chan, E., Davison, D., Earls, M., Evans, S. W., Flinn, S. K., Froehlich, T., Frost, J., Holbrook, J. R., Lehmann, C. U., Lessin, H. R., Okechukwu, K., Pierce, K. L., Winner, J. D., & Zurhellen, W. (2019). Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 144(4), e20192528. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2528

Yeung, A., Ng, E., & Abi-Jaoude, E. (2022). TikTok and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A cross-sectional study of social media content quality. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 67(12), 899–906. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437221082854