The medication is used to treat attention hyperactivity disorder. It can help to improve attention, lower impulsiveness, and control behavior problems. It is also a treatment for narcolepsy. Both children (6 years and older) and adults can use it. It is an FDA-approved medicine prescribed to a group of people suffering from depression due to stroke, cancer, or HIV and acts as an antidepressant drug. The generic name of Ritalin is methylphenidate.