Psychiatrists and pharmaceutical relationship has come under scrutiny in recent years over the selling of ADHD drugs. Psychiatrists, and medical schools primary focus while researching and treating patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) should be the care of the patient. However, when interactions exist between physicians and pharmaceuticals, a conflict of interest is present and must be recognized and managed to avoid any harm to patient care. The rise in ADHD diagnosis and its treatment with psychotropic shows that there are conflicts of interest between physicians' commitment to patient care and the desire of pharmaceutical companies to sell their products. The aim of this paper is to examine the conflicts of interest between drug companies, psychiatrists and medical researchers in the diagnosis, advertising and prescription of ADHD and other psychotropic drugs. ADHD became a popular diagnosis ADHD in the 1980s when pharmaceutical companies began to publicize the syndrome and promote the medicine to doctors, educators and parents. Presently The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders characterizes people with ADHD by “persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed”(DSM-IV 2013). Symptoms include excessive talking, fidgeting, or squirming, often losing things, difficulty remaining seated, playing quietly, or sustaining attention. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) In recent years, the diagnosis of ADHD has become common and about half the children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to show symptoms as adults. Although there is not a single test tha... ... middle of paper ... ... York Times, 14 Dec. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. • "The Prevalence and Correlates of Adult ADHD in the United States: Results From the National Comorbidity Survey Replication." The American Journal of Psychiatry. N.p., 01 Apr. 2006. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. . • Trudo, Hanna. "Dollars for Docs: The Top Earners." Propublica: Journalism in the Public Interest. N.p., 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. . • Wild, Whitney. "Adderall Use Rising among College Students." ABC 7 News - WJLA. N.p., 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. • Wilson, Duff. "Side Effects May Include Lawsuits." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Oct. 2010. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. • "15 Scary Facts About Adderall Abuse." MedicalBillingAndCoding.org. N.p., 26 July 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Another persuasive technique we used was appealing to dramatic benefits of the post-treatment of adderall by having a student imitate exaggerated behaviors of short attention span and impulsive nature that resulted in poor grades. Then after the same student takes adderall, he portrays a completely different character and becomes very attentive and productive in his studies, which results to an A in his next assignment. This is critical in Singh’s “Not Just Naughty: 50 years of stimulant drug advertising”, as he emphasizes how drug advertisements commonly present a post-treatment normal reality of highly idealized “portrait of an ideal family—bright, at...
This is said with the idea that even though Adderall is a Schedule II Substance, it doesn’t seem as dangerous or serious as heroin. A big part in the philosophy of this is because it’s extremely easy to obtain on college campuses. In an interview done by Hercampus.com, Amanda states that, “On my campus, […] Adderall is extremely easy to find. Sometimes you don’t even have to ask for it if your friends take it regularly and study with you often […] People will try to sell [Adderall] to get cash for laundry money” (Gladu 2015). Even though it’s a Schedule II drug, a nationwide survey showed that it’s only considered as “very dangerous” by two percent of students. The survey also showed that the percent of student that believe nonmedical use of Adderall is “not dangerous at all” or only “slightly dangerous” is a whopping eighty-one percent (Zadrozny 2015). In short, the students that take Adderall don’t see how it can affect them because they are getting the drug from their friend, or classmate, and not in some dark alleyway associated with the more intense
sure what causes ADHD, although some suggest that genes play a dominant role. Most likely
The use of psychotropic medication in children and adolescents dates back to 1937 when Charles Bradley conducted a study by prescribing the stimulant amphetamine sulphate (Benzedrine) to modify the behavior of children with severe behavioral disturbance. (Adams, 1991) Since these studies were conducted, more and more children and adolescents have been prescribed stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers for various mental disorders, such as: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The potential side effects that happen to children taking these medications can include: fainting, blurred vision, vomiting, extreme weight gain, and even death ("Seroquel information,” n.d.).
Stolzer, PhD, J. M. (2007). The ADHD Epidemic in America. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 9, 109-116.
Price, Joyce. "DEA restless about Ritalin: doctors are sounding the alarm about a popular drug used to combat attention disorders in kids." Insight on the News 1 July 1996: 39-40.
Narine, C., Sarwar, S., & Rais, T. (2013). Adderall-induced Trichotillomania: A Case Report. Innovations In
“Teens Abusing and Selling Ritalin for High.” ABC News. ABC News Internet Ventures. 25 Feb. 2014. Web. 6 March 2014.
Adderall can have serious side effects if taken without a medical reason. Adderall is a Schedule II drug, which means there can be a strong chance of abuse and dependence (Pantovich). The abuse of Adderall can be compared to the addiction people receive from the use of cocaine (Pantovich). The drug can cause lack of creativity (Pantovich). The use of Adderall is intended for patients with a disorder...
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
According to a variety of clinical studies appearing in various peer-reviewed journals, only 8% of children and 5% of adults have ADHD, but 21 to 45% of all criminals in US prison have ADHD (Quily.) One of the most prevalent mental conditions in children, ADHD is also one of the fastest growing mental health problems for school-age populations (Wolfe.) Its occurrence appears to be anywhere between 2 to 10% of children in school, and corresponds to 7.4% of parents with children ages 3-17 indicating that they have been notified that their child has this condition. As a result, treatment numbers for ADHD have dramatically increased over the last few decades; ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls although there are no discernible disparities in diagnosis by race. A great deal of research has focused on short-term consequences of this condition on school-age children, including an increased...
Kinman, T. (2012). ADHD and ADD: Differences, Types, Symptoms, and Severity. Healthline. Retrieved on December 3, 2013, from
Fatal complications occur from regular use, for example, liver damage, seizures, elevated blood pressure causing stroke, heart failure, or heart attack. Another growing fad in the United States is the abuse of prescription drugs. The abuse is being done by not only adults, but by teens. The most current trend today is the misuse of cough syrups and prescription medications to produce a “high.” Other medications abused today are stimulants (Ritalin), and benzodiazepines (Xanax).
"New Data Show Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse." Targeted News Service (USA) 11 Apr. 2011,: NewsBank. Web. 6 Dec. 2013.
Researchers in this study decided to focus on families affected by ADHD for several reasons. The first reason is the prevalence of ADHD, for “ADHD in the general population is approximately 3% to 8%” (Lench, Levine, & Whalen, 141). Additionally, parents who report ADHD symptoms a...