NB-IRDT Graduate Retention Series

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https://unbscholar.lib.unb.ca/handle/1882/38208
New Brunswick invests substantially in educating its students. These reports examine graduate retention rates and factors that may be influencing New Brunswickers' decisions to stay and work in the province.

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Browsing NB-IRDT Graduate Retention Series by Subject "Applied Health Services Research"

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    Summary Report: Academic, health and healthcare utilization outcomes in New Brunswick grade school students prescribed longacting stimulants for the management of ADHD: An administrative data study
    (New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training, 2024-04) Folkins, Chris; McDonald, Ted; Somayaji, Chandy; Gill, Somerpal K.
    Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD, is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with individual functioning or development and is often characterized by an ongoing pattern of three particular symptoms: inactivity, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder among children and youth. Research shows that school-aged children and youth are being diagnosed with ADHD with increasing frequency, and with this rise in diagnoses comes an increase in prescription medications used to treat the symptoms of this disorder. To help alleviate symptoms, many families turn to long-acting stimulants as a prescribed treatment method. Unlike short-acting stimulants, which typically start working within 30-45 minutes and wear off in 3-6 hours, long-acting stimulants are designed to work in phases, through an extended release into the bloodstream throughout the day. Long-acting stimulants have been the topic of extensive research, and studies show they improve core symptoms of ADHD – such as inattention and hyperactivity – making them the gold standard for medical treatment of ADHD. However, their ability to improve functional outcomes associated with ADHD – such as reduced academic achievement or increased risk of injury – is less well understood. Children and youth with ADHD face challenges that could inhibit their ability to excel academically or make them more likely to be hospitalized. To help measure the impacts of ADHD and of treatment with long-acting stimulants, this study uses linked administrative data records to examine academic, health and healthcare utilization outcomes in New Brunswick grade school students (Kindergarten through Grade 12) with ADHD. It compares outcomes between students with ADHD who are being treated with long-acting stimulants, students with ADHD who are not being treated and students without ADHD.