Abstract Introduction Stimulant medication is a well-researched treat-ment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is among the most effective treatments in psychiatry. Parents often want to know more about the long-term risks and ben-efits of medication. Our objective was to review the seminal
papers on long-term outcomes of stimulant treatment for ADHD for the purpose of providing clinicians with the back-ground they need to interpret these findings for patients. MethodsWe reviewed key articles on long-term outcome of symptoms, comorbidity, substance use, executive functioning, academics, side effects, neurobiology, functioning, and quali-ty of life. ResultsStimulants are very effective medications in the short term when used optimally. Long-term randomized, placebo-controlled studies are not feasible. Long-term naturalistic studies are limited by absence of controls. DiscussionWhen administered properlywith careful titration, follow-up, and dose adjustment, stimulants are a safe and effective treatment for ADHD with minimal long-term risk and possible long-term benefit. KeywordsADHD.Stimulant medication. Long-termeffect.Outcome