ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that about 11 percent of U.S. children ages 3–17 have been diagnosed with ADHD.1 About 6 percent of adults have received a diagnosis.2
ADHD can create major challenges for people who have it. Left untreated, ADHD symptoms like trouble focusing, impulsivity, difficulty with executive functions, and social and organizational challenges can be hard to manage.
Research has shown that people with ADHD have higher rates of divorce, unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, self-harm, and substance use. A recent study also found that people with ADHD have lower life expectancies.
The good news is that ADHD is highly treatable. For decades, doctors have used a group of drugs known as stimulants to treat ADHD. These medications are effective and safe. But they’ve also been the source of controversy. And they’ve created some stigma around ADHD. Understanding their history is key to understanding how we view ADHD.
We’ve put together an interactive timeline charting key moments in the history of ADHD medications. Let’s look at where they began, what’s happened along the way, and where we stand today.
1798
Sir Alexander Crichton, a Scottish physician, observes a disorder resembling ADHD.3 ADHD as we know it won’t be defined as a diagnosis until 1987, nearly two centuries later.
1937
Charles Bradley, a psychiatrist, gives an amphetamine drug called Benzedrine sulfate to a group of children with behavioral issues. Benzedrine is a stimulant medication, which means it targets dopamine in the brain. A week in, Bradley notices improvements in school performance among many of the children.4
1944
The chemist Leandro Panizzon makes a drug called methylphenidate. Ten years later, pharmaceutical company Ciba markets it as Ritalin — named for Panizzon’s wife, Marguerite, who went by Rita.5
1955
The FDA approves Ritalin to treat a variety of conditions including depression, narcolepsy, and fatigue. Methylphenidate, the drug’s active ingredient, is a stimulant medication, similar to the one Bradley used nearly two decades earlier.6
Late 1950s
Ciba, Ritalin’s manufacturer, markets the drug widely to doctors and patients alike. Advertisements say it “brightens outlook and renews vigor” and tells doctors it can “bring patients ‘out of the corner’” when they’re depressed.7
1961
Ritalin gets FDA approval as a treatment for children with behavioral issues, including hyperactivity.8
January 1968
The American Psychiatric Association releases the second edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Health care professionals use the DSM to diagnose and classify mental disorders. It lists a condition called “hyperkinetic reaction of childhood” that involves “overactivity, restlessness, distractibility, and short attention span, especially in young children; the behavior usually diminishes in adolescence.”9 Later, this would become known as ADD and, even later, ADHD.
April 1968
Congress creates the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, which later becomes part of the modern Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to control stimulants, among other drugs.10,11 This comes amid national concerns over amphetamine-type stimulants being used for everything from dieting to treating mild depression. They were common among U.S. military members, too.12
1971
President Richard Nixon declares his “war on drugs.”8 Congress passes the Controlled Substances Act, creating a scheduling system for all federally regulated substances. Methylphenidate (generic Ritalin) becomes a Schedule II drug, which means it has accepted medical use as well as a high potential for abuse and addiction.13 This change is prompted by concerns over stimulant abuse and makes it more difficult to get a Ritalin prescription.
1975
Several books come out, citing concerns about prescribing stimulant medications for children. One, The Myth of the Hyperactive Child, argues that medications like Ritalin are being used as “chemical straitjackets” on children. Media and public criticism about the use of Ritalin to treat “hyperactive” children hits a high point.8
1980
The third edition of the DSM lists “attention deficit disorder” (ADD) for the first time. It splits the disorder into two subtypes — with and without hyperactivity. And it notes that the primary features are “developmentally inappropriate inattention and impulsivity.”14
1987
A revision to the third edition of the DSM combines both ADD subtypes into “attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder” for the first time. The criteria is largely based on young boys. ADHD as we know it officially becomes a disorder.3
Early 1990s
The use of Ritalin and its generics (methylphenidate) to treat ADHD increases drastically. This leads to congressional hearings on the drug.15
1996
Adderall gets FDA approval for treatment of ADHD and becomes a common ADHD medication.16 Like Ritalin, it is a stimulant. But Adderall is amphetamine-based, while Ritalin is made from methylphenidate. Both ingredients target dopamine. Amphetamines work to release more dopamine. Methylphenidate blocks the reuptake of dopamine, producing a subtler effect.17
2000
Concerta gets FDA approval for treating ADHD.18 It uses the same medication as Ritalin (methylphenidate) but in an extended-release formula. The new, longer-acting formula can last throughout the day. This lets people take just one dose in the morning.
2002
The FDA approves the first non-stimulant drug for ADHD: Strattera.19 It uses an ingredient called atomoxetine. Atomoxetine increases levels of the brain chemical norepinephrine, with the aim of improving attention while reducing impulsivity and hyperactivity. Unlike faster-acting stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall, Strattera takes a few weeks to take effect.
Mid 2000s
ADHD is now a widely diagnosed condition. Several new drugs come onto the market. These include longer-acting formulas of methylphenidate-based drugs (Ritalin LA, Focalin XR) and amphetamine-based medications like Vyvanse.
2009
Three new non-stimulant drugs get FDA approval for ADHD treatment: Tenex,20 Intuniv, and Kapvay. These drugs are used to treat people with ADHD who can’t take or don’t respond well to stimulants.
2013
The fifth edition of the DSM comes out. The diagnosis criteria for ADHD is updated again. This edition gives examples of how ADHD appears in adults.21
2020
In response to the pandemic, federal officials loosen telehealth rules so that ADHD medications can be prescribed without an in-person visit.22 Within the next year, stimulant prescriptions increased by more than 10 percent in certain age groups.23
2022
ADHD diagnoses rise in all age groups, especially among women. One study finds that between 2020 and 2022, the percentage of women ages 23–49 who were newly diagnosed with ADHD nearly doubled.24 Also this year, a Ritalin shortage hits U.S. markets and eventually impacts other stimulant medications.
2023
U.S. officials announce a response to widespread shortages of ADHD stimulant medications.25 Drugs affected by the shortage include Adderall, Ritalin, and Vyvanse.
2024
New international research shows that stimulants and atomoxetine (generic Strattera) are the most effective ADHD treatments for adults. It shows that these medications remain safe and useful.26
2025
The president establishes the “Make America Healthy Again Commission” in an executive order. The order mentions ADHD and the rise in diagnoses and medication use among children. A key task of the new commission is to “assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants, and weight-loss drugs.”
March 2025
The American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and others issue a joint statement in response to the commission’s statements on stimulant medications. They reiterate existing data on ADHD medications, explaining that they are safe and effective. They warn that misinformation around medication increases stigma and can mean that people with ADHD will have less access to helpful, evidence-based medication.27