(CNN) Car accidents occur at dramatically lower rates among medicated ADHD patients in the United States than among those not taking medicine, according to a study of more than 2.3 million people published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. Previous studies have documented a higher number of car accidents among people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The symptoms of ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, can include an inability to pay attention, impaired impulse control and hyperactivity, which is often expressed as excessive fidgeting, talking or tapping. People with ADHD may have problems with one, some or all of the behaviors. "Core symptoms of ADHD (e.g., inattention and impulsivity) may interfere with the competencies necessary to drive safely, predisposing those with the disorder to greater risk for accidents and injuries," said Zheng Chang, lead author of the study and a researcher in the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.Male patients had a 38% lower risk of crashes when taking medication, researchers sayFemale patients on medication had a 42% lower risk of crashes
Hinshaw also noted that "beyond childhood, many individuals with _ question the need for medication... there's often the sense that medication is either stigmatizing or stifling of one's creativity or spontaneity."