Dear Mr. Morton,
As a teacher, I’ve noticed an increasing number of children and adolescents being prescribed medications for mood disorders. Are America’s kids being over medicated?
— Anonymous
Dear Anonymous,
I think so. The Journal of the American Medical Association revealed a dramatic increase in the use of psychotropic medications for children between the ages of 2 and 4 years. Is this justified? Maybe, since the office of the Surgeon General estimates that of the 70 million children and adolescents in the U.S., six to nine million have a serious emotional disturbance. But is this really the best treatment?
I certainly wish intensive family and individual therapy are tried first to treat children with emotional disturbances before psychotropic drugs are considered. I don’t believe the scores of TV commercials sponsored by the pharmaceutical giants have a “quick fix” pill to cure America’s children who, during their critical developmental years, grow up in hurried families commandeered by dual breadwinners who place constant pressure on them to succeed. One night, I witnessed a dozen TV ads peddling anti-depressants. I went to sleep thinking all of America went mentally crackers. Interestingly, all the actors in these TV commercials were adults.
So, why are we medicating children with Prozac and tricyclic antidepressants? I say, let’s put young children into these TV ads as well, with moms popping pills into their mouths. I don’t think even the slickest ad agency in America could pull that one off. But, our children are actually ingesting these drugs as “treatment,” even though thorough research has not yet been fully completed as to their long-term effects. I also think half the misdiagnosed ADD children should quit ingesting Ritalin, and their parents be put on tranquilizers.
There’s little wonder why Ohio’s former state Sen. Mike DeWine was disturbed by the fact that only 25 percent of all drugs were tested and properly labeled for safe use by children. He introduced legislation that would enable the Food and Drug Administration to require pharmaceutical companies to test all medicines for children.
Robert Morton, MEd, EdS, has retired from his positions as school psychologist and adjunct professor in the School of Leadership and Policy Studies at BGSU. Contact him at robertmorton359@gmail.com. Visit www.familyjournal1.blogspot.com for more about medication for children.
