Are We Overmedicating Our Children?

"Are we overmedicating our children? My answer is yes. But not for the reason most people assume. The overmedication of children is not a story about reckless doctors or careless parents. It is not an argument against psychiatric medication. I prescribe medications to children and adolescents regularly, and I have seen them reduce suffering and save lives. The real problem lies elsewhere:"

"The mental health of children and adolescents has been worsening for more than a decade. According to the CDC's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 42 percent of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and 22 percent seriously considered suicide in the previous year. Emergency room visits for pediatric mental-health crises increased by more than 30 percent between 2019 and 2020, with particularly sharp rises among adolescent girls. More children are struggling earlier-and remaining symptomatic longer."

Children's and adolescents' mental health has declined over more than a decade, with rising rates of persistent sadness, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation. The CDC's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found 42 percent of high school students reported persistent sadness or hopelessness and 22 percent seriously considered suicide in the prior year. Emergency department visits for pediatric mental-health crises rose over 30 percent between 2019 and 2020, especially among adolescent girls. Psychotropic medication use has increased—8.2 percent of children aged 5–17 took prescription mental-health medication in the past 12 months and stimulant treatment for ADHD roughly doubled from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s. The core problem is a treatment model focused on symptom suppression rather than understanding and addressing underlying causes.

Read at Psychology Today