Jun 11, 2026 – 5.00amAlmost one in five Australians are being prescribed antidepressants, psychostimulants and other mental-health-related drugs, with the number of boys being treated for ADHD tripling over the past decade, raising fresh fears about the way medicines are being dispensed to millions of people.About 10 per cent of boys aged between five and 17 were taking psychostimulants to treat ADHD and drugs known as nootropics in the 2025 financial year, according to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles
One in five Australians are medicating their mental health
About 10 per cent of Australian boys aged between five and 17 were prescribed ADHD medication last year, triple the number of a decade earlier.
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