Shrestha Shikhar, Varghese Shama, Mehta Simran, Dev Saloni
Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Jul 7;16:1529115. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1529115. eCollection 2025.
Approximately 6% of the US population had been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2023, and approximately 33% of the patients received stimulants to manage it. Recent ADHD medication shortages in the United States have caused substantial disruptions in access to these medications. The objective of our study was to investigate how individuals respond psychologically and behaviorally to ADHD medication shortage in the United States using public discussions on Reddit.
We extracted Reddit threads from "r/ADHD" that consisted of the keyword "shortage." After identifying relevant threads, we qualitatively analyzed 16 threads relevant to our study to reach thematic saturation. We used a hybrid inductive-deductive thematic analysis grounded in stress and coping theory to perform a qualitative analysis of the posts between August 2021 and February 2024.
Our findings show that redditors consuming ADHD medication experienced significant cognitive, emotional, and functional impacts due to medication shortage (primary appraisal). Redditors reported challenges with accessing medication due to complex medical systems, unsupportive healthcare providers, financial strain, and limited understanding of the causes of the shortage (secondary appraisal). Redditors also reported a range of pharmacological (change in dosage/medication, skipping dosage, saving medication, caffeine, and nicotine) and non-pharmacological (meditation and exercise) changes to behavior to manage the shortage (coping strategies). In addition, the Reddit community fostered support, positivity, and resource-sharing to navigate the shortage.
Our study highlights the urgent need for healthcare policies that support individuals with ADHD amid shortages, emphasizing the role of transparent communication from pharmacies, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies.
2023年，美国约6%的人口被诊断患有注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD），约33%的患者接受兴奋剂治疗。美国近期出现的ADHD药物短缺严重扰乱了这些药物的获取。我们研究的目的是利用Reddit上的公开讨论，调查美国个体对ADHD药物短缺的心理和行为反应。
我们从“r/ADHD”中提取包含关键词“短缺”的Reddit帖子。确定相关帖子后，我们对16个与我们研究相关的帖子进行定性分析，以达到主题饱和。我们采用基于压力与应对理论的混合归纳 - 演绎主题分析方法，对2021年8月至2024年2月期间的帖子进行定性分析。
我们的研究结果表明，服用ADHD药物的Reddit用户因药物短缺经历了显著的认知、情感和功能影响（初级评估）。Reddit用户报告称，由于医疗系统复杂、医疗服务提供者不支持、经济压力以及对短缺原因了解有限，获取药物存在困难（二级评估）。Reddit用户还报告了一系列行为上的药理学（改变剂量/药物、跳过剂量、节省药物、使用咖啡因和尼古丁）和非药理学（冥想和锻炼）变化，以应对短缺（应对策略）。此外，Reddit社区在应对短缺方面提供了支持、积极态度和资源共享。
我们的研究强调了在药物短缺期间制定支持ADHD患者的医疗政策的迫切需求，强调了药房、医疗服务提供者和监管机构进行透明沟通的作用。
