Use of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Medication Among Danish Children and Adolescents From 2010 to 2023

Pharmacological treatment is an important component in the multimodal management of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but contemporary trends in ADHD medication use among boys and girls in Denmark have not been fully characterized. This study aimed to provide an updated and detailed description of ADHD medication use among Danish children and adolescents during 2010-2023.

We analyzed filled prescriptions for ADHD medication in youths aged 5-17 years in Denmark (2010-2023), calculating incidence rates, prevalence proportions, male/female ratios, treatment persistence, age at initiation, and prescriber setting. Analyses were stratified by sex and age.

The incidence rates of ADHD medication use followed a u-shaped pattern for boys, declining from 0.59 per 100 person-years in 2010 to 0.34 in 2014, before rising to 1.0 in 2023. Among girls, incidence rates increased continuously from 0.20 per 100 person-years in 2010 to 0.67 per 100 person-years in 2023. Prevalence proportions were stable until 2018, where an increase was observed for both sexes, reaching 3.4% for boys and 1.8% for girls in 2023. The male/female incidence and prevalence ratios decreased consistently from 2010 to 2023. ADHD medication was initiated at a median age of 13 years for girls and 11 years for boys. The share of index prescriptions from child and adolescent psychiatry increased, reaching 87% in 2023. Most 5-9-year-olds (65%) and almost half of 10-13-year-olds (45%) were covered by an ADHD medication prescription 5 years after treatment initiation, as opposed to 29% of 14-17-year-olds.

ADHD medication use in Denmark increased from 2010 to 2023, particularly among girls, where the prevalence tripled compared to a 1.5-fold increase in boys. This likely reflects greater awareness of ADHD in girls, although their 2-year treatment delay compared to boys warrants clinical attention.