For patients

For patients

Acceptability

Medications used to treat ADHD have beneficial effects, but they can also produce adverse or harmful side effects. One way to assess whether the benefits outweigh the adverse side effects is to look at whether the patient continues or stops treatment; this is known as acceptability. In short-term treatments, between 15 and 50% of people with ADHD stop treatment, depending on the type of medication prescribed.

What is meant by "acceptability" to treatment?

Medications used to treat ADHD have beneficial effects, but they can also produce adverse or harmful side effects. One way to assess whether the benefits outweigh the adverse side effects is to look at whether the patient stops the treatment; this is known as acceptability. If a treatment significantly improves a condition and has few adverse effects, the drop-out rate is expected to be low, and acceptability is considered to be good. Conversely, if the treatment has little positive effect and many adverse side effects, the drop-out rate will be very high and acceptability, therefore, poor.

In treatments lasting a few weeks or months, between 20 and 25% of people with ADHD receiving medication discontinue treatment. For some specific medicines this figure can be almost 50%, while for others it can be 15%. This means that acceptability to medication is highly variable and depends on the type of medication prescribed.

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Access to the TDApp Patient Form

ADHD helps people with ADHD or their families get involved in making decisions that affect the treatment of ADHD. Choose the goals you want to achieve.