ADHD Drugs Don’t Help Young Children
The explosive increase in diagnosis of moderate-to-severe attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (commonly known as ADHD) has had a significant impact on our society,
the education system and millions of children from all walks of life. It has been an
extremely controversial issue since it touches lives everywhere. Many debate whether
this condition is over-diagnosed, particularly in young boys.
A new study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adult
Psychiatry has shown that early diagnosis and treatment of ADHD or ADHD symptoms
means very little in terms of the ability to prevent the condition or better manage its
symptoms.
According to the results in the study, 90% of children still had difficulties/ADHD
symptoms six years after their diagnosis. The study was conducted on 186 children
aged three to five. Detailed reports were included from parents and teachers to track the
severity of the symptoms of our participating child.
Children being treated with ADHD medication (2/3’s of the participant pool) showed
comparable levels of severity to those who weren’t taking ADHD medication. Of the
children taking medication, approximately 2/3’s of them were noted for having significant
hyperactivity and impulsivity. A smaller portion (58%) of those not taking medication had
similar problems with hyperactivity and ADHD symptoms.
ADHD has a very large impact on the lives of those affected by it. Statistical data shows
that those suffering from ADHD are significantly more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol
later in life and are more likely to have difficulty keeping jobs.
Noticing ADHD symptoms early and diagnosing them quickly appear to have very little
to do with helping children deal with or offset the symptoms. It’s clear that a rethink
is needed in how physicians, parents and educators approach the condition and it
should be viewed as a longer-term treatment that is not just dependent on the use of
psychiatric medication.
One of the authors of the study, Mark Riddle – a children’s psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins
Children’s Center in Baltimore – declared that “ADHD in preschoolers is a chronic
and rather persistent condition, one that requires better long-term behavioural and
pharmacological treatments than we currently have.”
Our approach to children’s healthcare, and mental health in particular, is often focused
primarily on making symptoms easier to deal with for the individuals around the child –
not the child itself. That appears to be the case in the treatment of ADHD. This study is
another great example of why we need to rethink our approach to medication, wellness
and children’s mental health.
Are we setting up a generation of young men and women for failure with our inability to
treat and manage ADHD? What can our society do to help them?
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