A systematic review of studies of stimulant medications for ADHD has concluded that the drugs should be used as a last resort, in rare cases, and for short durations only. Publishing in the Revista de la Asociación Española de Neuropsiquiatría (The Journal of the Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry), a Navarra Hospital psychiatrist and a director of the San Juan Mental Health Center in Spain note in their English-language abstract that, "These drugs are the same stimulant substances whose harmful consequences are well known in other uses in adults." In their 74-page review, the authors assess the evidence about the effectiveness and risks of ADHD medications. "The result is disappointing," the authors conclude, "and should lead to a modification of the [Clinical Practice Guidelines] to the use of drugs as tools of last resort, in a small number of cases and limited and short periods of time."
Outreach and limitations of the pharmacological treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) in children and adolescents and Clinical Practice Guidelines: a literature review. (Valverde Eizaguirre, Miguel A. and Inchauspe Arostegui, José A. Revista de la Asociación Española de Neuropsiquiatría [online]. 2014, vol.34, n.121, pp. 37-74. ISSN 0211-5735. http://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0211-57352014000100004.)