The Effects of Methylphenidate Treatment on Bullying Perpetration and Victimization in Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Objective: Although it is known that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of bullying perpetration and victimization, the data on the effect of methylphenidate (MPH) treatment, which is frequently used in the treatment of ADHD, on bullying perpetration and victimization, are very limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MPH treatment on bullying perpetration and victimization in children and adolescents with ADHD.Methods: Children and adolescents with ADHD, aged 8-16 years, who had not been treated for ADHD for at least 1 year and prescribed only MPH treatment were invited to participate in this open-label naturalistic study. After 3 months of MPH treatment, peer bullying involvement status was analyzed in comparison with the pretreatment data.Results: There was a significant decrease in all subscales of the Conners' Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) and Conners' Teacher Rating Scale after MPH treatment. Being a bully decreased from 50% to 18% and being a victim decreased from 80% to 46%. It was determined that for every 1 point decrease in the CPRS Conduct Problems subscale, the risk of being a bully was reduced similar to 2-fold, and every 1 point decrease in the CPRS Anxiety subscale reduced the risk of being a victim 2.44-fold.Conclusions: This is the first longitudinal study examining the effect of MPH treatment on bullying perpetration and victimization in children and adolescents with ADHD. It appears that MPH treatment may be effective in improving the situations of bullying perpetration and victimization in ADHD patients. In addition, the fact that the decrease in behavioral problems reduces the risk of being a bully and the decrease in anxiety symptoms reduces the risk of being a victim, suggests that prevention and intervention programs for bullying perpetration and victimization should target these problem areas.