NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
IS RITALIN OVERPRESCRIBED? Stimulant medications such as Ritalin have received some bad press over the years. Because of lack of accurate information, parents are understandably fearful of side effects. Ritalin has been studied carefully for the last 20 to 30 years. The two most commonly mentioned side effects of Ritalin are loss of appetite and sleep problems. Irritability and weight loss are the next most often reported symptoms.
Approximately half of the children in one study who took Ritalin for ADHD exhibited mild symptoms including loss of appetite, insomnia, anxiousness, nervousness, irritability and proneness to crying. One third reported mild headaches and stomachaches. Many of these side effects decline within one to two weeks after starting on medication. Mild increases in blood pressure and heart rate may also occur. Youngsters with ADD may also seem to lose their spontaneity if the dosage is too high. In one study, researchers found that adolescents had fewer negative side effects than children.
Today, there are criticisms about the dosage the physicians make with regards to Ritalin. Many health sectors are seeing the laxity with which the drug is given to anyone manifesting similar behavior as children with ADHD. This paper will look into this issue deeply and see if allegations of overprescription of Ritalin are true. A wide range of psychotherapies and drug therapy has been used to improve the lives of hyperactive children. For unknown reasons, some drugs that stimulate the brains and behaviors of adults have a quieting effect on the brains and behaviors of the children. The drugs most widely prescribed for hyperactive children are amphetamines, especially Ritalin.
Amphetamines work effectively for some hyperactive children, but not all. There are as many as 20 percent of hyperactive children that are treated with Ritalin that do not respond to it. Even when Ritalin works, it is also important to consider the social world of the hyperactive child. The teacher is especially important in this social world, helping to monitor the childs academic and social behavior to determine whether the drug works and whether the prescribed dosage is correct.
Thus, it is not surprising that the latest studies would point to an overprescription of some of the drugs used to treat it. Nearly 6 percent of the school-age population in the United States has been diagnosed with ADHD. (Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve). There are around 90 percent of these patients who take the drug Ritalin. But the reports are persistent in saying that this drug, also known as methylphenidate is a mild central nervous system stimulant.
It boosts the brain's ability to control impulsive behavior and helps children concentrate. (Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve). There are even alarming reports that the usage of this is getting higher. Essential in the prescription is the consideration that some teenagers have serious sleep problems that may interfere with their ability to function at school. If they take medication too late in the day, they may have trouble falling asleep and thus be tired the next day at school. However, the issue has progressed to such an extent as to warrant the implementation of several researches in the field.
One such research was that done by pediatric psychologist, Gretchen Le Fever. Concerned that the disorder was being over diagnosed, she began a study of 30, 000 grade-school students in two school districts in Virginia. She states the result, "What we found was that in our region of Virginia, the prevalence of children getting a dose of ADHD medication during the school day was two to three times the national estimate of the disorder, " Le Fever said. (Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve). Her study definitely brought up questions about the diagnosis.
This was also published in the American Journal of Public Health and revealed that the number of children medicated in school for ADHD was 17 percent for white boys, 9 percent for African-American boys, 7 percent for white girls and 3 percent for African-American girls. (Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve). Due to this specialists are now wondering if the previous estimates were too low or if ADHD is being over diagnosed. Another angle would also be if these doctors are also presently doing a more focused job on diagnosing and identifying the disorder (Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve). The different institutes of mental health are now looking into other communities that may be using Ritalin in progressively high proportions. Because like in any drug, taking huge doses of this drug has its side effects. Besides, there is no reason to be taking the drug when the child is not even an ADHD but just hyperactive in some instances.
Doctors only have a few minutes assessment with these patients, and if the doctor is not keen enough, he will indeed, misdiagnose the patient and prescribe this drug that is not even needed afterall (Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health). Author of the book No More Ritalin, Dr. Mary Ann Block states in no uncertain terms that the drug is kiddie cocaine. (Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve). And as in cocaine-containing drugs, this one can cause changes in the behavior and mind processes.
There are some who think otherwise, saying that it has no known effects. But the statistics prove them wrong. Children with ADHD require special handling in terms of determining what system works best that provides them education. It is said that even teachers, child specialists and school administrators have a difficult time with these children without mediating them. Hyperactive children are asked to take these drugs. Schools even recommend the children to physicians who recommend usage of these drugs.
Most of them are not aware of the long-lasting effects these drugs have on the brain chemistry (Breggin, Peter). In the end, all sectors concerned need to realize that the development of attention is apparently a lengthy process in which a child first learns to translate what she knows into appropriate actions and then gradually comes to rely on these strategies as they become more routinized and effective means of gathering information to achieve their objectives. Despite these normal trends a fair number of children find it nearly impossible to sustain their attention for long or develop playful attentional strategies. Although therapeutic interventions do improve the self-esteem, social behaviors and academic performance of ADHD children, many of these treated individuals are no better adjusted as adults than hyperactive peers who receive no therapy (Biederman J, Faraone SV, Spencer T, et al. , 1993). Undoubtedly, the long-term prognosis will improve as we learn more about this disorder. At present, the many problems associated with ADHD clearly illustrate just how important the regulation of the drug is, not only to the cognitive development and academic performance, but to ones social and emotional development as well.
Author Bromfield states that Ritalin nowadays seems to be dispensed easily but with a lack of awareness and common sense. There is no doubt that Ritalin helps people pay attention but in most cases, it is being administered inappropriately. Because of these occurrences, medical groups are now alert about how this drug is prescribed. Some of these are the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychiatry Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and even Ciba. These groups are now checking physicians so that they do not just give these medications to pacify or soothe or even subdue them due to a misperceived behavior (Bromfield, Richard).
We must always remember that the best interest of the child is always the deciding factor that determines what is best for her medication. The parent, the State and the learning institutions play very important roles in determining what kind of life the child may have in the near future. As all these three key players determine the welfare of the hyperactive children, the whole civil society is enjoined to share the load of guiding and ensuring that every member of the society is part of the whole system that is supposed to be one in promoting the best interest for all, no matter what standing, status or circumstances they may have. REFERENCES Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
Accessed 5 Nov. 2005 at: web Biederman J, Faraone SV, Spencer T, et al. Patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, cognition, and psychosocial functioning in adults with ADHD. American Journal of Psychiatry 1993; 150: 1792 - 1798. Accessed 5 Nov. 2005 at: web Breggin, Peter. Dr. Breggin Testifies Before US Congress.
Committee on Education and the Workforce. Ept. 29, 2000. Accessed 5 Nov. 2005 at: web Bromfield, Richard. Is Ritalin Overprescribed? Family Education. Accessed 5 Nov 2005: web Robison, L.
M. , Star, D. A. , Star, T. L. , & Gain, R. S. (1999). National trends in the prevalence of attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder and the prescribing of methylphenidate among school age children: 1990 - 1995. Clinical Pediatrics, 38 (4), 209 - 218.
Rowland, Rhonda. Diagnosing hyperactive children is tricky. CNN. com. Accessed 5 Nov. 2005 at: web Rowland, Rhonda and Salvatore, Steve. ADHD maybe overdignosed, study says.
CNN. com Sept 1999. Accessed 5 Nov. 2005 at: web
Free research essays on topics related to: deficit hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity, sleep problems, side effects, academic performance
Research essay sample on Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
