Prescribing Psychiatric Drugs To Children

Abstract: A 12 page paper. The ratio of children who are diagnosed with a psychiatric condition and the numbers who are taking psychotropic drugs has soared in the last ten to fifteen years. In fact, prescriptions for Ritalin alone rose by 600 percent since the late 1980s. The writer provides a comprehensive investigation of the diagnosis and the use of prescribed drugs. Some studies allege that children are overdiagnosed and overmedicated, some concluded that many children slip through the cracks and are not diagnosed and treated, while still others suggest it is an issue of misdiagnosis and improper medication. This essay concludes with a discussion that addresses the ethics of prescribing these medications to children, when many have not been approved for use below the age of 18. Statistical data included. Bibliography lists 14 sources.

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Catagory: Disease, Treatment, & Epidemiology

Subcatagory: Medicine, Medical Issues, & Pharmacy

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