The Pathologizing of Children

He’s suspended from school for defying his teacher and clashing with classmates. She’s a sullen, sometimes belligerent foster child.  He’s a toddler who cries frequently and doesn’t sleep through the night.  Their common denominator? All these children have been prescribed psychiatric medications. The likely overprescribing of psychotropic drugs for children is a serious issue. In the face of disturbing data and a lack of scientific evidence about safety and efficacy, some parents and professionals are speaking out. According to a report in The New York Times, about one in 54 children aged six through 17 covered by private insurance were taking at least two psychotropic medications in 2012 – a 44 percent increase in four years.  Rates among children covered by Medicaid have also increased. Together about a million kids are currently on various combinations of psychotropics, despite a lack of empirical evidence about their safety, efficacy, and side effects. Some risks of taking these drugs include weight gain and diabetes, insomnia, hallucinations and heart rhythm disturbances. Most research carried out on these drugs, and their interactions with each other, have been conducted in adults because of safety and ethical issues. Another concern is that FDA monitoring of patients’ adverse reactions to prescription drugs leaves something to be desired, partly because reporting of problems is limited.  There are also worries about off-label use, especially in chi...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children Rx Source Type: blogs