A study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry is the first to find a link between heavy doses of ADHD drugs and psychosis.
The drugs which saw an increase in psychotic symptoms and mania are Adderall, Vyvanse and amphetamines in general.
Amphetamintes are known to increase dopamine levels, which can trigger psychosis.
But the research now shows a “dose-response relationship”, in that the risk of psychosis rose to a whopping five-time increase when the dose increased.
This comes in the context of unprecedented popular use of amphetamines – particularly in the USA, which has seen a 30% increase in use of amphetamines for ADHD in adults.
Stimulatant use has generally skyrocketed in recent years.
ADHD drug Ritalin does not have this effect, as it is not an amphetamine.
Psychiatrists say that those with a family history of mental illness success as bipolar or schizophrenia should be particularly careful with amphetamines.
