An Analysis of the Significant Variation in Psychostimulant Use Across the U.S. and Teachers’ Perceptions of ADHD and its Treatment
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Abstract: 200 words_______________________________________________
Objective: To provide a national profile of the area variation
in per-capita psychostimulant consumption in the U.S. Methods: We
separated 3,030 U.S. counties into two categories of “low” and “high”
per-capita use of ADHD drugs (based on data from the Drug Enforcement
Administration), and then analyzed them on the basis of their socio-
demographic, economic, educational, and medical characteristics.
Results: We found significant differences and similarities in the
profile of counties in the U.S. that are above and below the national
median rate of per-capita psychostimulant use (defined as grams/per
100K population). Compared to counties below the median level,
counties above the median level have: significantly greater popu-
lation, higher per-capita income, lower unemployment rates, greater
HMO penetration, more physicians per capita, a higher ratio of young-
to-old physicians, and a slightly higher students-to-teacher ratio.
Conclusions: Our analysis of the DEA's ARCOS data shows that most of
the significant variables correlated with “higher” per-capita use of
ADHD drugs serve as a proxy for county affluence. To provide a more
complex, multivariate analysis of the area variation in psychostimu-
lant use across the U.S.——which is the logical next step——requires
obtaining price data to match the DEA’s quantity data. Key Words:
psychostimulants, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
methylphenidate, amphetamine, mental health, children, adolescents.
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Convention