Only a few disorders of childhood
have expanded as much public interest and have been so encircled by debates as
ADHD. Controversy has concentrated on
both the nature of ADHD and the pharmacological treatment that was broadly presented
in the late 1960s (Nelson & Ireland,
2009). This next section will discuss the hot topic of medication, as well as
alternative treatments for ADHD, a decision parents often struggle with.
To begin, following are
two video describing mediation vs. neurofeedback and behavioural interventions,
a newer, non-medical treatment for ADHD.
Excessive and Abusive Use of Stimulants in Adolescents
Diagnosed with ADHD
In the United States and
The United Kingdom, there has been a substantial increase in the number of adolescents
diagnosed and as such, an increase in those being prescribed medication for the
disorder over the last decade. Although the advantages of medication are well-known
in the treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity, clear and notable apprehensions
have been raised about excessive use of stimulants and unidentified, long-term
side effects of prolonged use of these stimulants (Singh, Kendall, Taylor,
Mears, Hollis, Batty & Keenan, 2010).
Parents report feeling continually
pressured by teachers, school administrators, family members, and health
professionals to medicate their child, once he/she has been diagnosed with
ADHD. The school wants children to
conform, and therefore, medication seems to subdue the non-compliant, impulsive
and hyperactive behaviour educators find it hard to control (Jackson &
Peters, 2008). However, the decision not to medicate lies within the decision
of parents dealing with their own hyperactive child.
The main concern most
parents have with medication and their children are amount of medications prescribed,
the number of times medication dosage is adjusted, and the short and long-term
effects of the medication on their child.
A debate published in the Washington Post in 2009 indicated that
medication over short term use was quite effective. However, long term use of stimulant medication
caused growth stunts, and lost effectiveness (Vedantam,
2009).
With such conflicting
information being published in media, parents and scientist are now researching
additional, non-medical treatments, which may help alleviate the symptoms of
ADHD. These treatments include dietary changes
and sleep schedule changes, behaviour management programs, meditation and
Neurofeedback therapy (Jackson & Peters, 2009).
Following are a few videos
that describe three different approaches to patients suffering from ADHD
symptoms.
The Benefits of Medicating Adolescents Diagnosed with ADHD
Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder is currently identified as a chronic, incurable,
life-long disorder (Jackson & Peters).
Despite being a chronic condition, several intervention techniques have
been applied to help patients manage symptoms.
These include counselling, diet and dietary supplements, behaviour
modification, and stimulant medication. Of these techniques, the most widely
utilized and most continuous therapy applied is stimulant medication.
Following is a short
introduction about medical treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder.
A study conducted in early
2000 with a group of youths participating in medicated therapy provided some useful
insight for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) about
the effectiveness in stimulants on youth’s attention, behaviour and performance
in school and social settings. Patients participated in groups with researchers
to explore insights on, awareness about and attitudes towards stimulant
medication of young people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Singh,
Kendall, Taylor, Mears, Hollis, Batty & Keenan, 2010). The diagnosis process, the familiarity of
having ADHD and the application of additional interventions were also reflected
on.
Several positive effect of
medication were reported. These included
helping students calm down, think first before acting out or acting
impulsively, and eliminating quick impulses of anger. These positive effects helped young people
make friendships quickly, and retain friends whom they would have normally
caused conflict with. Classroom
instruction was impacted by medication as the patient’s disruptive verbal and
physical behaviour was nearly eliminated. A great deal of the participants in the study
also felt they had the ability to concentrate more effectively and for longer
periods of time. They also found that
written work, such as math and creative writing, was easier to complete and
instructions did not seem so overwhelming. An increase in classwork grades,
tests scores and standardized tests was also noted (Singh, Kendall, Taylor,
Mears, Hollis, Batty & Keenan, 2010).
In another study completed
in early 2008 (Jackson & Peters, 2008), Mothers were interviewed regarding
their position as parents of children with ADHD. More often than not, the study found that
parents were often put in a position of constantly defending their decision to
medicate their children, or outright ignore the obviously concerned, but not
well informed comments from family and friends within their social
networks. The decision was difficult for
them to make, and often they found themselves trying other alternatives before
reverting to the originally prescribed medication, simply because the media or
influence of family and friend persuaded them to do so. However, once medical treatment was well
underway, they often wished they had begun with the treatment earlier, and
avoided all the trial and error. This is
because in most cases, the patients showed a remarkable change in behaviour, temperament
and ability to concentrate (Jackson & Peters, 2008).
References
E How. [ehow]. (2009, April 4). Kids’ Health & Pediatrics:
Medications for ADHD in Children [Video
file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9b0mN0b3zs.
Goldman,
L., Genel, M., Bezman, R., & Slanetz, P. (1998). Diagnosis and Treatment of
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents. JAMA:
The Journal of the American Medical Association, 279(14), 1100-1107.
Retrieved October 20, 2014.
Jackson, D., & Peters, K. (2008). Use Of Drug Therapy In
Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Maternal Views
And Experiences. Journal of Clinical Nursing,17,
2725-2732. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
Rapp. [drrapp]. (2008, Feb. 22). Don’t Drug Them First – Children,
ADHD & Drugs – Dr. Rapp [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzvIq8WISUo
Singh, I., Kendall, T., Taylor, C., Mears, A., Hollis, C.,
Batty, M., & Keenan, S. (2010). Young Peoples Experience of ADHD and
Stimulant Medication: A Qualitative Study for the NICE Guideline. Child
and Adolescent Mental Health, 15(4), 186-192. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
Sonic Learning.
[Sonic
Learning]. (2012, May 31). Should
children with ADHD be medicated? [Video file]. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Yvl-9N_LI
Steinberg, M.
[drmarksteinberg]. (2011, June 20). Treating
ADHD without Medication [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DivDr0tp-HY
Vedantam, S. (2009, March 27). Debate Over Drugs For ADHD
Reignites; Long-Term Benefit For Children at Issue. The
Washington Post. Retrieved October 31, 2014, from
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-20052762.html?
WSAV3.
[WSAV3].
(2012, Feb 9). Treating ADHD:
Mdeications vs. Neurofeedback [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIGYOvd1XZo
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