Results suggest there is moderate-to-high-level evidence that combined pharmacological and behavioral interventions , and pharmacological interventions alone can be effective in managing the core ADHD symptoms and academic performance at 14 months .
However , the effect size may decrease beyond this period .
This review has highlighted the paucity and limitations of the evidence investigating the long-term outcomes of recommended interventions for managing ADHD symptoms .
There is little evidence to suggest that the effects observed over the relatively short term are maintained throughout longer periods of impairment .
PURPOSE To systematic ally identify and review the currently available evidence on the long-term outcomes of recommended attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) interventions following r and omized controlled trials with children and young people .
Stimulant treatment over five years: adherence, effectiveness, and adverse effects.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of adherence and medication status on effectiveness and adverse effects of stimulant use in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) over 5 years . METHOD Seventy-nine of 91 participants in a 12-month r and omized controlled trial of methylpheni date and parent groups enrolled in a follow-up study . Adherence to stimulants , treatment response , and adverse effects were evaluated annually for 5 years . Changes in teacher-reported symptoms and parent-reported adverse effects were compared at 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 years for 3 groups : adherents , nonadherents on medication , or nonadherents off medication . Controlling for age , gender , and baseline severity , adherence status and medication status were evaluated as correlates of teacher-reported ADHD symptom scores at each year using multiple regression analyses . RESULTS At 2 years , adherents ( n = 41 ) showed greater improvement in teacher-reported symptoms than those off medication ( n = 16 ) and equivalent response to nonadherents on stimulants ( n = 16 ) ( p = .02 ) . At 5 years , adherents ( n = 16 ) showed greater improvement in teacher-reported symptoms than nonadherents on stimulants ( n = 15 ) and those off medication ( n = 14 ) ( p = .04 ) . At year 2 medication status ( beta = 4.67 [ 0.40 - 8.95 , p = .033 ] ) and at year 5 adherence status ( beta = 7.23 [ 3.01 - 11.44 , p = .001 ] ) correlated with higher teacher-reported symptom scores . Clinical ly significant adverse effects were present for 5 years , most commonly loss of appetite . CONCLUSIONS Psychostimulants improve ADHD symptoms for up to 5 years , but adverse effects persist
Results suggest there is moderate-to-high-level evidence that combined pharmacological and behavioral interventions , and pharmacological interventions alone can be effective in managing the core ADHD symptoms and academic performance at 14 months .
However , the effect size may decrease beyond this period .
This review has highlighted the paucity and limitations of the evidence investigating the long-term outcomes of recommended interventions for managing ADHD symptoms .
There is little evidence to suggest that the effects observed over the relatively short term are maintained throughout longer periods of impairment .
PURPOSE To systematic ally identify and review the currently available evidence on the long-term outcomes of recommended attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) interventions following r and omized controlled trials with children and young people .