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Childhood: a suitable case for treatment?

Ilina Singh1, Simon Wessely2

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

The Lancet. Psychiatry
|August 26, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Medicalization in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complex. More research on diagnosis harms/benefits and non-drug treatments can improve the ADHD debate and clinical practice.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Medical Ethics

Background:

  • Contemporary debates surrounding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are dominated by concerns regarding medicalization and the overreliance on pharmacological interventions.
  • Understanding the complexities of ADHD medicalization requires systematic investigation to inform clinical practice and public discourse.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically examine the ongoing debate on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), focusing on issues of medicalization and drug treatment.
  • To propose avenues for a more productive and less divisive discourse on ADHD through enhanced research and clinical practice guidelines.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of the current literature on ADHD diagnosis, treatment, and medicalization.
  • Analysis of the ethical considerations and societal impact of ADHD diagnostic and treatment paradigms.

Main Results:

  • Medicalization in ADHD is a multifaceted issue necessitating rigorous, evidence-based research for comprehensive understanding.
  • A lack of longitudinal data on the harms and benefits of psychiatric diagnosis and misdiagnosis hinders productive debate.
  • Limited access to effective, non-pharmacological treatments exacerbates concerns about medicalization.

Conclusions:

  • Advancing the understanding of ADHD requires longitudinal research into diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.
  • Improving access to diverse, evidence-based treatments, including non-drug options, is crucial for addressing medicalization concerns.
  • Articulating core values to guide child psychiatry practice can foster greater trust and reduce divisiveness in the ADHD discourse.

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