How we're misunderstanding medicated kids

The stereotypical medicated kid in America is wealthy and spoiled and retains a psychiatrist to guarantee him extra time on tests or to help process the emotional fallout of being neglected by high-powered working parents. In this formulation, rich kids have psychological problems, and poor kids have real problems. But the stereotype isn't accurate; the correlation is, in fact, the opposite. Children in poor families are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with emotional and behavioral problems and to be prescribed medication. Our national understanding of youth and mental health starts with an important mistake.

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This new ADHD medication for kids comes in a fruity package.

Adzenys XR-ODT, an extended-release amphetamine, was released in May and is aimed at children 6 years and older with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. More than 11 percent of kids ages 4 to 17 have ADHD, and 75 percent of those children take medication, the CDC reports.

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Anti-psychotic medication for children could have lasting effects, research suggests

Researchers have found evidence that medicating children with behaviour problems could have an impact on levels of depression, anxiety and hyperactivity later in life.

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Antipsychotic Guidelines for Kids Still Largely Unheeded

Antipsychotic prescribing rates for children in foster care and for other Medicaid-insured children have leveled off following a period of rapid growth in the early and mid 2000s. However, guideline-recommended practices are frequently still not followed, new research shows.

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Antidepressive treatment during pregnancy can affect newborn brain activity

A new Finnish study shows that fetal exposure to commonly used SRI drugs may affect brain activity in newborns. The researchers suggest that the effects of drugs on fetal brain function should be assessed more carefully. Furthermore, indications for preventive medication should be critically evaluated, and non-pharmacological interventions should be the first-line treatment for depression and anxiety during pregnancy.

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What It's Like to Go on Antidepressants Before Puberty

When I was in elementary school, my two best friends were diagnosed with depression and given psychiatric drugs. They were both eight years old. At the time, I was weirdly jealous; I felt like they got more treats than me and the teachers gave them special attention. At one stage, I even made my mom take me to the doctor's, just to check that I wasn't depressed too.

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What to expect when your child is restrained at school

In a previous article, I called for a reduction in the use of seclusion and restraint in public schools by focusing on positive behavior interventions. In circumstances when restraint is used, parents need to be aware of the information they should expect to receive from their child’s school. I will address seclusion in a future article.

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Foster kids get antipsychotics at ‘new normal’ rate

Although fewer children in foster care and on Medicaid are getting prescriptions for antipsychotic medicines than during the early and mid-2000s, challenges remain.

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Most Antidepressants Don't Work for Kids, Study Finds

Most antidepressants don't work for children or teenagers with major depression and some may be unsafe, researchers reported Wednesday.

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Use of psych drugs in poor kids has leveled off

The good news is that the surge in use of antipsychotic medicines in poor kids peaked in 2008. The peak came a year later for those with private insurance.

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This Common ADHD Medication Could Pose Heart Risks for Some Kids

Ritalin, a popular drug for treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), might increase the risk of an abnormal heart rhythm shortly after a young person starts taking it, a new study suggests.

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Antipsychotic drug use linked to autism risk

The side effects of antipsychotics can be quite problematic and researchers have found that the proportion of adolescents with autism or intellectual disability has increased among youths treated with these medications.

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Does Your Child Have ‘ADHD’? It Might Depend On Your Doctor

A study published in the journal Pediatrics reveals large differences from one pediatrician to the next when it comes to diagnosing and prescribing drugs for ‘ADHD.’ The researchers found that the percentage of children being diagnosed with ‘ADHD’ varied from as high as 16% of patients at some offices to as little as 1% of patients at others. The data also revealed significant but lower variability in the pediatric diagnosis of anxiety and depression.

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Here’s why states want to make it tough to skip childhood vaccines

When Jennifer Stella’s two children were babies, she made sure they got all the usual vaccines. But when one started having seizures and the other developed eczema after they’d gotten immunizations, the Vermont woman decided her kids would no longer get shots required to attend school.

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A Broken System: Rhode Island Mental Health Treatment for Children

Until last spring, his fits were mostly contained within his home. A hole in the hallway wall proves it. But one fair day last April, his aggression went public.

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Care for children with mental health problems is woeful, say GPs

Family doctors have condemned NHS care for children with mental health problems as woefully inadequate and warned that vulnerable young people are coming to harm during waits of up to a year for specialist help.

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Stop drugging ADHD kids — and start teaching them to use their gifts

This year, Americans will spend more than $8 billion on members of the stimulant family, in a desperate attempt to keep squirmy school kids with ADHD glued to their chairs — or sometimes, even their kindergarten rugs.

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CCHR to Protest the Electroshocking of Children in Atlanta at the American Psychiatric Convention

In response to the American Psychiatric Associations calling on the FDA to allow the electroshocking of children who don't respond to "treatment" (drugs), CCHR is holding a protest at the annual American Psychiatric Association convention in downtown Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Anyone interested in joining the protest can sign up on the Facebook event page. The protestors will meet up at 10:30 am at the north end of Woodruff Park to start the march.

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CCHR Working to Restore Parental Rights and Prevent Abuse of the Baker Act

The mental health law in Florida, commonly known as the Baker Act, allows children to be involuntarily committed from school and sent for psychiatric evaluation. This is supposed to happen if it is believed the child has a mental illness and could be a serious threat to themselves or others.

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5 things every parent needs to know about ADHD

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looks at the best way to treat young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. The new studies provide strong evidence that not only is behavior therapy effective and it works without the side effects of medication —it's the better first step.

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