[Methylphenidate in Brazil: a decade of publications]

Methylphenidate is frequently associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though this psychostimulant has been on the market in Switzerland, Germany and the US since the 1950s. After its association with ADHD, Ritalin has become the world's most widely used psychostimulant. The scope of this article is to present the results of an analysis of publications concerning the use of Methylphenidate in Brazil over a decade. It seeks to understand how the information is presented or omitted in the different printed materials. For the analysis, the most important Brazilian psychiatric journals as well as major Brazilian newspapers and magazines for the general public for the 1998-2008 period were consulted. One important point that resulted from analysis of the empirical material was the participation of pharmaceutical laboratories in the funding of research groups on ADHD. The findings reveal several controversial issues in the publications, such as the combination of drugs and psychotherapy, as well as issues of addiction and over-prescription.