An Analysis of the Significant Variation in Psychostimulant Use Across the U.S. and Teachers’ Perceptions of ADHD and its Treatment
practitioners. While there appears to be no significant difference in
the male-to-female ratio among physicians, counties with higher
consumption rates have a higher young-to-old physician ratio.
There are also differences in the educational environment across
the two sets of counties. Counties with higher rates of psychostimu-
lant use have slightly higher students-to-teacher ratios in public
schools, but significantly higher ratios of private school students-
to-public schools students, private coed-to-private non-coed students,
and private sectarian (religious)—to—private non-sectarian students.
[figure 2 about here, map of the U.S.]
Discussion
In general, the results in table 1 suggest a positive relation-
ship between county affluence and higher per-capita use of
psychostimulant drugs. For instance areas with “high” use of
psychostimulants have, on average, about $2,650 greater per-capita
income and a 1% lower unemployment rate than areas with “low” use.
These findings are consistent with the findings of a recent study on
the geographic variation in the prevalence of psychostimulant
medication use among children.
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They also suggest a positive
relationship between higher use of the drugs and areas with greater
population density and greater access to medical care (more
physicians, more specialists, and higher levels of health insurance).
To receive psychostimulants, one needs access to a prescribing
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Convention