(Finland) 15.5% of children take meds for ADHD, depression
An increasing number of Finnish children are taking ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and antidepressant medicines, according to a study by Kela and the University of Tampere.
The share of children using medicines that affect the nervous system rose from 10.7 percent to 15.5 percent between 2017 and 2025. The category includes ADHD and antidepressant medicines as well as painkillers.
This news follows Kela's figures on Monday showing that more than five percent of all six- to eight-year-old boys in Finland were taking ADHD medication last year.
The number of children using methylphenidate, a common ADHD medicine, more than tripled, while use of lisdexamfetamine increased more than eightfold.
Finland once prescribed ADHD medicines to children relatively sparingly compared with other Nordic countries. It is now among the countries with the highest rates of childhood ADHD medicine use in the comparison.
Researchers say the increase reflects changes in the recognition of ADHD, the threshold for treatment and access to services. . . .
Comments