Use of ADHD medication has increased over the last decade in Europe, especially among women

The study relies on extensive population data and robust methods for its main objective, which is to describe trends in ADHD medication use in Europe. It uses representative databases from five countries, a long time period (2010–2023) and a harmonised methodological approach using the OMOP-CDM model, which allows for consistent estimation of prevalence, incidence and treatment persistence.

Its results are consistent with previous literature, confirming the progressive increase in the use of ADHD drugs described in earlier studies, but they also provide relevant new insights by broadening the focus to the adult population, incorporating data from after the COVID-19 pandemic, and showing a particularly marked increase in adult women, as well as a lower maintenance of pharmacological treatment than is often assumed. Thus, the study does not change the existing conceptual framework, but updates and refines it with more recent and clinically relevant information.

However, the results must be interpreted with important limitations in mind. The study analyses medication use and not ADHD diagnosis, so it does not allow conclusions to be drawn about actual prevalence, overdiagnosis or treatment adequacy. There are also substantial differences between countries in terms of registration systems, care pathways and regulatory indications, which limits direct comparisons. Adherence is estimated indirectly from prescriptions, and the analysis is purely descriptive, without adjustment for clinical or sociodemographic variables.

In Spanish clinical practice, these findings are relevant because they confirm that ADHD treated in adults, often with psychiatric comorbidity, is a growing reality, but also that treatment maintenance is limited. This reinforces the need for rigorous diagnostic evaluations, adequate management of therapeutic expectations, and the integration of non-pharmacological interventions alongside pharmacological treatment, avoiding alarmist interpretations and favouring a more thoughtful and personalised use of medication.