Adults with ADHD commit fewer crimes when on medication

Criminal behaviour is lower in people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when they are on medication for the condition, a Swedish study has found. Oxford University psychiatrist and Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow Seena Fazel, a coauthor on the study, says: 'Our findings suggest a consistent, reasonably strong effect on criminality. 'It has to be weighed up against the other advantages and possible side-effects of the drugs, but it does add to the bigger picture,' says Fazel. 'Here we have a medication that is prescribed widely with a clear benefit for one important outcome. The research used extensive registries that are available in Sweden on ADHD diagnoses, prescriptions and criminal convictions. The study included four years of data from 2006 through 2009 for over 25,000 adults with ADHD, and is published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Criminality was reduced by over 30% in people with ADHD when they were taking drugs for the condition compared to periods when they were off medication.
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