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Are Stimulants Overprescribed for Youths with ADHD?

Are Stimulants Overprescribed for Youths with ADHD? Critics of stimulant treatment for youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased their rhetoric of late, contending that the leading medication for it, Ritalin®, is vastly overprescribed. Additionally, they claim that Ritalin (methylphenidate) is inherently dangerous and that the entire system of the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD is seriously flawed. The critics view the underlying reason for the “epidemic” as societal, due to our modern pace of living, our competitive society, and our consumer emphasis. Rejoinders to and clarifications of the more tangible points of the critics are presented, followed by a discussion of some more practical and legitimate concerns for researchers in this area. These concerns include changes within the ADHD category, the clinical need for multiple sources of diagnostic data, infrequent teacher–physician communication, problematic ADHD/conduct disorder comorbidity in adolescence, and the limited amount of community-based research. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annals of Clinical Psychiatry Springer Journals

Are Stimulants Overprescribed for Youths with ADHD?

Safer, Daniel
Annals of Clinical Psychiatry , Volume 12 (1) – Sep 30, 2004
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8 pages

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Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 by American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists
Subject
Medicine & Public Health; Neurology; Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology
ISSN
1040-1237
eISSN
1573-3238
DOI
10.1023/A:1009031211900
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Critics of stimulant treatment for youths with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased their rhetoric of late, contending that the leading medication for it, Ritalin®, is vastly overprescribed. Additionally, they claim that Ritalin (methylphenidate) is inherently dangerous and that the entire system of the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD is seriously flawed. The critics view the underlying reason for the “epidemic” as societal, due to our modern pace of living, our competitive society, and our consumer emphasis. Rejoinders to and clarifications of the more tangible points of the critics are presented, followed by a discussion of some more practical and legitimate concerns for researchers in this area. These concerns include changes within the ADHD category, the clinical need for multiple sources of diagnostic data, infrequent teacher–physician communication, problematic ADHD/conduct disorder comorbidity in adolescence, and the limited amount of community-based research.

Journal

Annals of Clinical Psychiatry – Springer Journals

Published: Sep 30, 2004

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