Over-diagnosis and over-prescriptions of ADHD Currently America has an over prescription problem, this plagues all age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. In young children the diagnosis of Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder also known as ADHD has rapidly increased. Because we live in world where so many need quick results, normal childhood behavior are now being mistaken for ADHD and other disorders. In this paper I will prove that ADHD is over diagnosed and overprescribed, especially in lower socio-economic groups. Having over medicated kids is not healthy and this trend needs to stop. ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders, however it is gravely misunderstood. According to the National Institute of Mental Health attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) starts in early childhood (average onset age is 7) and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity. Scientists are still not sure what causes ADHD, although some suggest that genes play a dominant role. Most likely it results from a combination of factors like environmental factors, brain injuries, nutrition, and the social environment. According to the NIMH some children with ADHD have thinner brain tissue in the areas of the brain associated with attention; however, as they grow up the tissue develops into a normal level of thickness. Environmental factors like having a mom who used cigarettes and alcohol while pregnant and kids who are exposed to high levels of lead are more prone to developing ADHD. Some scientists in Brittan have linked a higher consumption of food addictive like preservatives lead to a... ... middle of paper ... ... psychologist who might give the kids pointers on how to focus. Unfortunately treatments like this are very expensive and most medical insurances do not include therapy. Medications are also the fastest way for parents to see results in their unruly child. Ever since the FDA allowed companies to advertise directly to consumers we saw an increase in the ADHD rates as parents would see the advertisement, take their toddler and come back with very strong medications. To combat the problem of over prescription parents need to make a constant effort to be their child’s strongest advocate. Parents need to be well researched in this topic and decide whether or not it is worth it to medicate. They need to be able to properly take care of their child with alternative methods before turning to medication which a lot of doctors argue should be the last straw.
Interestingly, the symptoms of ADHD are just as varied as the causes of ADHD. Even so,
At least one in four families in the U.S. is affected by mental illnesses. Unfortunately there is no cure for this range of illnesses, which have been around for thousands of years. Of the American adult population, 5.4 percent have a serious mental illness. These health conditions are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, behavior, or some combination of these. They are also associated with distress and sometimes impaired functioning. In 1990 the total cost of mental health services in the U.S. was $148 billion. According to a new report by the Mental Health Foundation, one in five children suffer from a mental health problem. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a mental illness that is diagnosed mainly in young children and doesn’t always disappear in adulthood.” All we know is that this genetic, inherited condition [ADHD] is not due to brain damage at all but rather a variation in how the brain functions.” Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes symptoms and characteristics that can be placed in one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These characteristics commonly leave a person with ADHD with lack of attention span, easily distracted, fidgety, struggling to stay seated, having trouble engaging in calm activities, impatient, and talking excessively or out of turn. A new study by researchers says that hyperactive children have behavioral differences due to under active parts of their brain, a biological malfunction, rather than due to way they were brought up. This was revealed by a magnetic scanning device that allowed researchers to look at the brains of children diagnosed with ADHD. These studies and statistics reinforce the claim that mental illnesses are not invented simply to justify drugging of children and a disease that needs be educated to the public for better understanding. Rather, ADHD is an illness that affects many people throughout their lives. This topic is often misunderstood by the public. The media and medical community need to educate the positive side of this controversy and not just show the opposing view, which often times misrepresented by the media.
Northeastern middler Gary Brown* reclines his small frame on a couch in his Mission Hill apartment. He looks like a patient on a psychiatrist's couch as he dictates his history of abuse with Ritalin and Adderall.
A diagnosis found that out of the 15 percent of high-school age children who take ADHD pills, the true rate of children needing to be medicated is closer to 5 percent. This over-diagnosis and prescription is a direct result of intense, multi-million dollar marketing campaigns of ADHD medication by the drug makers, through celebrity ads as well print and television ads that prompt patients and their families to ask doctors about those specific drugs. And the tactic has paid off, with a quintupling of stimulant sales since 2002, to over $8 billion in revenues.
Challenges due to poverty could be addressed by providing financial assistance, food, and clothing. Time spent with parents is essential when dealing with children who have behavioral issues because parents or guardians may not have the funds or time to spend with their children due to other obligations needed to support the family. Parents and guardians play a major role in helping children grow and develop to their fullest potential. As children grow, they depend on their parents or guardians for basic needs and support such as food, shelter, education, protection, and care. During their life difficulties and times of crisis, they depend on family for guidance. Mental disorders in childhood and adolescence can be chronic, require proper attention, help, and support from caregivers and teachers as well. Parents and guardians living with children with mental illness disorders have additional responsibilities and roles to care for them as they do for healthy children. The best way to help those families are to have them participate in their own income generating activities such as respite services or programs accepted by Medicaid where they receive counseling from social workers or other healthcare professional. Pelham et al. (2007) found that using a cost of illness (COI) framework examines the economic impact of ADHD in childhood and adolescences and identified studies; therefore, most conducted on existing databases by using diagnostic and medical procedure codes focused on health care costs. The costs were examined for ADHD treatment and other health care costs, education, parental work loss, and juvenile justice. According to Pelham et al. (2007), this incomplete evidence base estimated that annu...
Theory suggests that ADHD is caused by a neurological and chemical deficiency that affects the development of the central nervous system. It is believed that this lack of development directly affects the part of the brain responsible for concentration. ADHD is also believed to be partly due to genetic inheritance. A large majority of individuals afflicted with this disorder will also have a relative who has ADHD.
There are definitely people with a genetic vulnerability. However, there are also others with biological vulnerabilities. ADHD is a real disorder with implications to problems with brain chemistry and function. It is also know to be one the most commonly diagnosed disorders in school aged children. Today we use brain scan studies and genetic studies to help us diagnose this disorder. However, we have learned that is a heterogenous disorder and is still a very low-tech diagnosis based on symptoms (Ullman,
Abstract: This research paper describes ADHD and the treatments available. It discusses the different medications and their side effects and explains the opinions of some doctors for an alternative treatment. The main goal of the writing is to shed some light on the disorder and describe some theories about ADHD. This goal is stated in the thesis which talks about how ADHD cannot be identified exactly, the side effects to the medication are harsh, there are different alternative treatments, and research shows it may be caused from hormones and sleep deprivation.
“Some say that this explosion of childhood ADHD is indicative of what’s wrong with our society and education system. They blame parents and an educator for choosing quick fixes for what they say is a behavioral problem, not a brain-based disorder.”
ADHD is an exceedingly real diagnosis for many children in the United States. Are we over diagnosing our little ones just to keep from dealing with unpleasant behavior? “ On average 1 of every 10 to 15 children in the United States has been diagnosed with the disorder, and 1 in every 20 to 25 uses a stimulant medication” (Mayes, Bagwell, & Erkulwater, 2008). Several believe that virtually all ADHD diagnoses are retractable with appropriate discipline of children instead of being so hasty in medicating them. The material found on the CDC website describes facts about ADHD, it clarifies the signs, symptoms, types, causes, diagnosis tools, and treatment forms of ADHD. What the article neglects to go into is the reality that there is a considerable amount of controversy surrounding ADHD. The CDCs usage of ethos, pathos, and logos and by what method the website manipulates them to affect the reader will be the basis of this paper.
In today’s society it seems that many peole are being dighnosed with Attention decicet disorder. Millions of dollars are being spent on ADHD medication every year. Some argue that this is not a disease while other doctors say it is. In this paper will look at the history of ADHD what were the early cases to today research and science on this so-called disease. Next we will look at the supporters of such and disease and what are some solution and medication being piscribed and their side affect. Next will examine the skeptics of ADHD and why they believe what they believe. Then, it will show the result of a research that has been done one patients who have been diagnosed of this disease and what is the process of diagnoses. Finally I will determine from my own point of what I think of this disease if it exisit or it just way for companies to cash in on money.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
The epidemic rise of ADHD can reflect on social construct. In general, society defines what a disorder by the number of symptoms. Furthermore, “the fact
If you suspect that you or someone you know has ADHD, please talk with your doctor for a proper diagnosis and for more
The existence and diagnosis of ADHD has subjective nature because, as our book says, “No valid, independent test for ADHD exists.” The diagnosis for ADHD is quantified by doctors and psychiatrists who rely upon the observations and opinions of the people who care for the child being “evaluated”. Observations and opinions themselves are subjective because each person inevitably has their own personal biases and unique viewpoints which will lead them to define a child’s characteristics or behaviors in a certain way.