The risks of taking stimulant treatment have been overstated.
Medications are generally safe when used appropriately, and severe risks are rare.
While untreated children did have elevated patterns of substance abuse, there is no definitive evidence of increased substance abuse risk among those taking stimulant medication. Medication was found to be more effective than psychosocial intervention, but a combination of the two was the most effective. There are a wide variety of diagnosis and treatment practices, and clearer guidelines are needed. The current system of care is inadequate and meets needs in only a piecemeal fashion. Some of the most thorough and interesting presentations, such as preliminary results of NIH's MTA study, were given little recognition in this generic report.