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Treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorders in adolescents
Summary of the evidence
A narrative systematic review (Özgen et al., 2021) investigated the treatment options of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid substance use disorders (SUD) and overall found that there is very limited evidence of treatments for this comorbidity and does not allow for strong recommendations. Specifically:
- pharmacological treatment - none of the trials in this comorbid adolescent population showed a robust between-group effect of treatment on either ADHD or SUD
- psychosocial treatment - no randomized trials or meta-analyses have been conducted to date in youth with concurrent ADHD and SUD
Details
Note: this evidence summary is only valid for the outcomes, target groups, settings and substances/patterns of use described below.
