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ADHD: the war for our children |
| "A leading proponent of non-drug treatment for children displaying symptoms of ADHD, clinical child psychologist Angela Southall is concerned about the politics and vested interests involved in the rush to legitimise ADHD as a clinical construct." |
Medication for ADHD |
| "In her letter ‘Medication for ADHD’ (Therapy Today, February 2009), Jan Topley states that ADHD is caused through genetics and seems to favour medication over psychological interventions. In my view there is always the other side of the coin." |
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Sadly the interview with Angela Southall, ‘ADHD: the war for our children’ (Therapy Today, November 2008), was an opinion only and unsupported by clear evidence.
Medication for ADHD
Sadly the interview with Angela Southall, ‘ADHD: the war for our children’ (Therapy Today, November 2008), was an opinion only and unsupported by clear evidence. In general, those of us who prescribe medication for ADHD find the research evidence and our clinical experience compelling in support of a strongly genetic entity which has been called ADHD.1 In addition, there is a group of children who have the features of this condition in whom the background is disrupted attachment and childhood trauma. Clearly this group needs much more than medication. In my experience, however, especially with children in the care system, medically treating the inattention and hyperactivity makes it possible for them to engage in education, therapy, and life.
The largest good quality study of interventions for ADHD published in 19992 found the effect of medication to be stronger than psychological interventions and clearly we need to investigate which are the most effective and acceptable modes of therapy. The reports of a high incidence of ADHD in young prisoners and drug and alcohol service users3 suggest this is a condition with life-long implications, and evidence4, 5 suggests that medication has reduced the risks of subsequent drug and alcohol misuse.- References:
1. Levy F et al. Attention deficithyperactivity disorder: a category or a continuum? Genetic analysis of a large-scale twin study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1997; 6:737-44.
2. MTA Cooperative Group. A 14-month randomized clinical trial of treatment strategies for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry. 1999; 56:1073-86.
3. Schubiner H et al. The dual diagnosis of attention deficithyperactivity disorder and substance abuse: case reports and literature review. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 1995; 56:146-50.
4. Biederman J et al. Pharmacotherapy of attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder reduces risk for substance use disorder. Pediatrics. 1999; 104: e20.
5. Goksoyr P, Nottestad J. The burden of untreated ADHD among adults: the role of stimulant medication. Addictive Behaviours. 2007; 33(2):342-6
