The adherence and financial impact of ADHD medication costs: A comparative study between China and the USA

In our developing world, mental disorder stigmas decrease significantly as psychological diagnoses and education evolve. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as one of the most prevalent mental disorders, yet, still faces challenges in varying adherence rates and brings a financial burden to families. This paper aims to investigate the effects of ADHD medication costs on adherence and financial strain in China and the USA, exploring how price variations impact these factors within different healthcare systems and cultures. To achieve this, we conducted a comprehensive literature review using the PICO framework for keyword searching and organized our sources in an Excel spreadsheet. This methodology allowed us to clearly identify and compare key trends in the two countries. Our findings indicate that higher out-of-pocket costs are negatively correlated with adherence rates, with this impact being more pronounced in the US for the first hypothesis. For the second hypothesis, the results showed that the financial burden of ADHD medications is significantly greater in the US due to its less effective healthcare system. This analysis gathers and evaluates factors that lead to adherence barriers and financial challenges, offering insights for policymakers seeking to implement improvements in these areas. Additionally, the paper proposes practical policy changes in the end that could enhance affordability and accessibility of ADHD medications in both China and the USA.