Denali
New Member
I heard a radio interview with the producer, Marcela Gaviria, and Christine Craft. Neither one impressed me with their understanding of the need that some children have for medical management of behavior.
The entire approach struck me as sensationalistic. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Here's the webpage
The Medicated Child
(in preview, didn't look like the URL came through--here it is in plain, for your cutting and pasting pleasure)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/
Ten years ago, stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall were the drugs of choice to treat behavioral issues in children. Today children as young as four years old are being prescribed more powerful anti-psychotic medications that are much less understood. The drugs can cause serious side effects and virtually nothing is known about their long-term impact.
The increase in the use of anti-psychotics is directly tied to the rising incidence of one particular diagnosis -- bipolar disorder. Experts estimate that the number of kids with the diagnosis is now over a million and rising.
As the debate over medicating children continues to grow, FRONTLINE producer Marcela Gaviria confronts psychiatrists, researchers, and big pharma about the risks and benefits of prescription drugs for troubled children in "The Medicated Child."
The entire approach struck me as sensationalistic. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Here's the webpage
The Medicated Child
(in preview, didn't look like the URL came through--here it is in plain, for your cutting and pasting pleasure)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/
Ten years ago, stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall were the drugs of choice to treat behavioral issues in children. Today children as young as four years old are being prescribed more powerful anti-psychotic medications that are much less understood. The drugs can cause serious side effects and virtually nothing is known about their long-term impact.
The increase in the use of anti-psychotics is directly tied to the rising incidence of one particular diagnosis -- bipolar disorder. Experts estimate that the number of kids with the diagnosis is now over a million and rising.
As the debate over medicating children continues to grow, FRONTLINE producer Marcela Gaviria confronts psychiatrists, researchers, and big pharma about the risks and benefits of prescription drugs for troubled children in "The Medicated Child."