7.5 percent of schoolchildren take prescription psych meds

[tod evans]

From Drudge;


7.5 percent of schoolchildren take prescription psych meds


http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2014/...436127/?spt=su


“Over the past two decades, the use of medication to treat mental health problems has increased substantially among all school-aged children and in most subgroups of children,” report authors explained.

According to a new health study, some 7.5 percent of children ages 6 to 17 are being prescribed psych meds for emotional or behavioral problems.
The study is based on information collected as a part of the National Health Interview Survey, designed and carried out by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.

Informed by interviews conducted in 2011 and 2012 with the parents of more than 17,000 children, the new look at America's medicated youth indicates the drugs are apparently working.

"We can't advise parents on what they should do, but I think it's positive that over half of parents reported that medications helped 'a lot,'" said report author LaJeana Howie, a statistical research scientist at NCHS.

Although the study was not able ascertain info on specific diagnoses, it's estimated that a large majority of these prescriptions are meant to treat ADHD symptoms. The study may lend credence to critics who say America's children are over-diagnosed with ADHD -- and subsequently over-prescribed and over-medicated.

While the American Psychiatric Association suggests that just 5 percent of U.S. kids have ADHD, CDC studies shown that more than 11 percent of American schoolchildren are now diagnosed with the behavioral condition.

“Over the past two decades, the use of medication to treat mental health problems has increased substantially among all school-aged children and in most subgroups of children,” report authors explained.

The study also found that children from poorer families were more likely to be medicated than more well-to-do children, and that boys are more frequently prescribed psych meds than girls.

[Suzanimal]

I think the numbers are higher, I would estimate about 1/2 of my son's friends are on that crap and almost all of the ones who aren't on drugs have been approached by teachers/doctors to have their sons tested.

A Georgia-based doctor is prescribing children medicine for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in order to “modify” children who are not performing well academically in sub-par schools, The New York Times reported.

Dr. Michael Anderson, a pediatrician in Cherokee County, Ga., said he “doesn’t have a whole lot of choice,” when it comes to making up the ADHD diagnosis for these low-income kids because “we’ve decided as a society that it’s too expensive to modify the kid’s environment.”

Experts say they are seeing more doctors prescribe such medicines, like Adderall, to children who may be struggling with school work in an environment that is strapped for cash. A wider trend shows wealthier students taking stimulants to raise their grades, so they can compete for top college spots.
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/1...or-low-income/

[donnay]

I definitely think these numbers are low-balled, without a doubt. 15 years ago my mother worked at an Elementary school that had 639 kids. Out of the 639 kids 320 kids were on some sort of psychotropic drug, the majority of the 320 kids were boys.

They are literally mentally castrating the boys in this country.

[thoughtomator]

I think the numbers are higher, I would estimate about 1/2 of my son's friends are on that crap and almost all of the ones who aren't on drugs have been approached by teachers/doctors to have their sons tested.

The numbers are probably low balled but what they only alluded to in the article is that boys are like 80% of that 7.5%.