Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic psychological disorder characterized by difficulty in paying attention and managing the impulsive disorder. It is one of the mental conditions that are commonly associated with criminal and deviance due to the associated hypersensitivity and hyperactivity. In children, the mental instability that results could lead to antisocial behavior. However, medication has proven that treatment with stimulant drugs could eventually lower the chances of engaging in criminality. The discussion is based on a study that aims to prove the hypothesis that ADHD medication has a direct correlation with the reduced criminal behavior in individuals. The research will focus on the nature of the disease and the mechanism which is used to reduce criminal behavior among different age groups.
Introduction
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) remains one of the most prevalent and rapidly growing diseases in children. However, the disease has also been reported in a significant number of adolescents and adults. Research has further shown that the disease is more common in boys compared to girls as revealed by the statistics 10.7% and 4% respectively (Fletcher & Wolfe, 2009). Research has shown that there is a close relationship between ADHD and criminal activity in the victims. For instance, a recent report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has experienced an adversarial contact with the law enforcement authorities compared to other adolescents. However, evidence has shown that ADHD medication could eventually reduce criminal behavior. Recent studies have focused on the impact that the ADHD medication has on the criminality rates of the victims. The research study will demonstrate how medications can reduce the exposure of ADHD patients to criminal behavior (Fletcher & Wolfe, 2009).
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Hypothesis: Individuals with ADHD and are involved in the crime have a reduced chance of reoffending when immersed in a treatment process.
Literature Review
Although there is a treatment for ADHD, the interventions used have largely remained controversial. Research has shown that up to 70% of the patients show positive signs with stimulant medication on a short term period (Fletcher & Wolfe, 2009). However, on a long-term perspective, treatments are mostly unknown. ADHD is one of the most common mental health diseases associated with criminal behavior. Generally, there is an inverse relationship between the risk of criminality among ADHD patients and pharmacological treatment. Studies conducted have shown that individuals with ADHD have a higher propensity of committing crime compared to the rest of the population. It is in this regard that the provision of better medication could reduce crime and shave positive behavior. The crime witnessed in individuals with ADHD can have significant implications on the well-being of the individuals and their families at large. The affected individual can be of significant social and economic burden to their families. The most commonly used drug for the treatment of ADHD includes stimulants. They can assist in reducing a host of symptoms including impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattentiveness in both children and adults.
It remains significant to understand how the medication for ADHD can help in mitigating the criminal traits seen in an individual. First, the stimulants are responsible for the improved concentration levels and the control of impulses. However, studies have also shown that the medications do not work per se. They are only responsible for the reduced symptoms, and once the medication stops, there is a high likelihood that the symptoms can resurface. According to recent Swedish research, males with ADHD who adhered to medication were able to reduce their rates of criminal activity by around 32%. On the other hand, women had a success rate of approximately 42% (Fletcher & Wolfe, 2009). It also remains critical to note that not all children with ADHD will engage in criminal behavior. Some develop coping skills that not only keep them away from criminal behavior but also the opportunity to outgrow the disorder. In a bid to prove the role of medication in reducing criminality in ADHD patients, research has primarily focused on assessing the medication and the non-medication population.
Method
The study was carried on participants emanating from Sweden. The research targeted individuals born on 1990 or earlier and at least had one ADHD diagnosis as recorded in the patient register. The study targeted 16,087 males and 9,569 females (Lichtenstein et al., 2012). Additional information acquired included the psychiatric hospitalizations and outpatient diagnoses conducted on these individuals. The Prescribed Drug Register contained information on all the medication given to the patients since July 2005. Another critical factor that was assessed in the study was criminality. Through the help of the National Crime Register and the Register of Persons Suspected Offenses, information about criminality could easily be accessed (Lichtenstein et al., 2012).
Results
As illustrated in the methods, the study targeted 16,087 and 9,569 men and women respectively. Out of all the men diagnosed with ADHD, 53.6% were reported to have taken the necessary medication. During the follow-up, 36.6% had experienced conviction with at least one crime. For the population controls, the figures were at 0.2% and 8.9% in that respective order (Lichtenstein et al., 2012). For female patients, individuals who had taken ADHD medication were at 62.7%. The total convictions during the follow-up were at 15.4% (Lichtenstein et al., 2012). Therefore, it could be possible to conclude that among the ADHD patients, crime was less often during the periods of medication. The women also demonstrated a positive response to the drugs as regards criminality behavior.
Discussion
Significant research has been placed on the impact of the pharmacological treatment on the criminality behavior of ADHD patients. The study above has demonstrated the possibility that ADHD medications come with a protective element that keeps the individuals out deviance and other inappropriate behavior that could potentially cause run-ins with the law enforcement authorities. However, the researcher also proved that once an individual terminated their treatment, their long-term separation from criminal activity would be profoundly jeopardized. The rates of reduction however differed significantly between the men and the men and the women. During the ADHD treatment, the crime rate was 32% lower compared to the rates before the beginning of the medication. The rate was also said to reduce at a rate of between 17% and 46% (Lichtenstein et al., 2012). The result, therefore, demonstrated a host of factors that could assist in further strengthening the established cause-effect relationship. The pharmacological treatment of ADHD assists in the better organization of the patient's life and further assists in causing changes at the neuronal level of the individual.
The research also focused on a host of confounding factors that would have played a critical role in defining the relationship between the two factors. Particularly, environmental factors and genetics remain two of the most vital factors assessed as confounders in the relationship. It is vital to note that several environmental factors could contribute to crime irrespective of an individual’s mental health. There is also a correlation between genetics and crime. As such, it was essential to assess the impact that these two aspects could have contributed to the study. For men and the women combined, the rates of crime reduction upon treatment reduced by more than a third. However, the research came with a host of limitations. For instance, the researchers did not focus on whether the medications were more effective in limiting criminal behavior for a specific age group. The research was also general and blind to the question of whether a particular drug could have decreased the criminal activity in the patients more than others. Lastly, the study did not capture how several aspects such as restlessness, impulsivity, and irritability reduced upon medication.
From the study, it remains vital to appreciate that medications should be given serious consideration especially on the adolescents and young adults battling ADHD with a risk of criminal behavior. However, it should also be noted that all the medications have the potential of demonstrating the adverse side effects. It is thus incumbent upon the clinician the benefits and risks associated with each patient. Although the study has shown that ADHD medication can reduce criminality, this can be different when performed in other jurisdictions and populations. It is also inappropriate to assume that children with ADHD today demonstrate the same risk of criminality compared to the ones born almost ten or twenty years ago. Although there is a correlation between ADHD treatment and reduced criminal behavior, the research has hardly proved a substantial cause and effect relationship,
Conclusion
Individuals with ADHD and are involved in the crime have a reduced chance of reoffending when immersed in a treatment process. ADHD is one of the most common mental health problems affecting individuals throughout their lives including from childhood to adulthood. It is also associated with involvement in criminal behavior. However, evidence has shown that treatment with stimulants can reduce the chances of engaging in criminal behavior. The medication for treatment mitigates the hypersensitivity, hyperactivity, and induces a sense of mental calm. The improvement of these symptoms eventually leads to reduced chances of engaging in criminality. It is therefore incumbent upon mental health professionals to leverage capitalize on treatment as a means of mitigating the possible social problems that emanate from ADHD. However, doubts remain as to whether there is a cause-effect relationship between ADHD treatment and the mitigation of criminality due to the action of confounding factors such as genetics and the environment.
References
Fletcher, J., & Wolfe, B. (2009). Long-term consequences of childhood ADHD on criminal activities. The journal of mental health policy and economics, 12(3), 119.
Lichtenstein, P., Halldner, L., Zetterqvist, J., Sjölander, A., Serlachius, E., Fazel, S. ... & Larsson, H. (2012). Medication for attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder and criminality. New England Journal of Medicine, 367(21), 2006-2014.
