No increased risk of psychosis from methylphenidate use in young patients

A cohort study examining patients who were initiated to methylphenidate treatment between the ages of 12 and 30 has found no evidence of increased risk of psychosis in this group as a result of methylphenidate initiation. The study's findings contradict a prevalent view that methylphenidate increases the risk of psychotic events in young people and should be avoided in patients with a history of psychotic illness. Study results were published online June 17 in Lancet Psychiatry .