Sunday, July 6, 2008

Ritalin-style Drug Set For Wider Role In Adult Mental Illness

A significant number of adults with unresolved depression, anxiety or addiction may actually have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a condition that has been widely considered to resolve in late adolescence.

Armed with the correct diagnosis, adult ADHD sufferers could soon be prescribed Ritalin-style stimulant medications for a range of mental health problems that are not usually associated with the disorder, the Royal College of Psychiatrists' annual meeting was told on Friday 4 July.

Stimulant medication is currently only licensed for children with ADHD. However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is expected to recommend that this class of drug can be prescribed adults with ADHD in September 2008 - following the recognition that the condition persists into adulthood in about 20 per cent of cases diagnosed in childhood.

READ MORE @ MEDICAL NEWS TODAY