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Is Sertraline Effective for Treating ADHD?

ByPrimary Researcher

Executive Summary

  • One of the common off-label prescriptions for antidepressants is ADHD.
  • We evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness of antidepressants for ADHD or Sertraline ADHD.

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Introduction

Ever since antidepressants were first introduced, they began expanding in their off-label applications. A major off-label prescription has become for treating ADHD. This article investigates whether antidepressants like the antidepressant Sertraline are effective for ADHD as the medical establishment has claimed.

Antidepressants Prescribed for ADHD

This is the result of a studies covered at Healthboard that states the following.

Researchers have not thoroughly researched sertraline and ADHD together. Some research has focused on sertraline and depression, but typically patients with ADHD have been excluded from the studies. One exception is a 1996 study that examined the effects of sertraline and fluoxetine on depression in patients who also had symptoms of ADHD. While all experienced an improvement in depressive symptoms, none experienced an improvement in ADHD symptoms. Sertraline is usually not recommended for the management of ADHD. However, according to a case series, administration of serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs (sertraline) combined with psychostimulants (methylphenidate) can help improve attention in children and adults. In this study, no participant developed aggressiveness, mania, or suicidal tendencies. However, this behavioral disorder is associated with other neurological conditions such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The high comorbidity of OCD in ADHD patients makes it evident that treatment is directed to both conditions.

This raises the question of why Sertraline is prescribed for this purpose.

Studies into Sertraline for ADHD

According to WebMD, antidepressants like the antidepressant Sertraline for ADHD tend to be prescribed when amphetamines like Ritalin or Adderall are found to be ineffective. This is explained in the following quotation.

A lot of adults with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) take stimulant drugs to manage their symptoms. But if you don’t get better with those medicines, or you don’t like how they make you feel, your doctor may suggest you try an antidepressant.

Sometimes the MDs prescribe antidepressants for ADHD because the patient has a variety of symptoms. There is also an overlap between ADHD and depression. Both are marked by problems in concentration and overall attention spans. Some adults with ADHD also have depression and anxiety. Antidepressant drugs might be an option if that’s your situation since they can treat these conditions as well as ADHD.

When it comes to improving your concentration or attention span, antidepressants usually don’t work as well as stimulants and other drugs made specifically to treat ADHD.

While part of this statement is correct — the part about having antidepressants for ADHD not working as well as stimulants to treat this condition — the problematic part of this statement is that studies have not even found a relationship between these neurotransmitters and depression. WebMD leaves out this information — because pharmaceutical companies fund WebMD to keep saying this to readers long after this hypothesis has been proven to be false. GoodRx addresses this same topic in the following quotation.

Both ADHD and depression are linked to low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain, which is involved in pleasure, concentration, motivation, and movement. Many of the medications used to treat depression and ADHD aim to increase dopamine levels.

Understanding The Impact of Dopamine on Wellbeing and Behavior

Before we go further and analyze this statement, let us cover what dopamine does and its impact on behavior.