“Are Psychiatric Medications Over-Prescribed in Children?”
“The team looked at the patterns of prescriptions and compared them to the prevalence of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, and depression in several age groups including young children (3 to 5 years), older children (6 to 12 years), adolescents (13 to 18 years) as well as young adults (19 to 24 years).
Depression is a problem in pediatrics, especially in children in the teen years. Estimates from the CDC are that 1 in 8 teens has experienced a depressive episode and one in twelve children will show some symptoms of ADHD. However, during the period the Columbia team looked at, there were fewer than 1 in 30 teens that were given a prescription for antidepressants. In the case of stimulant medications for ADHD, the rate was about 1 in 20 who were placed on drugs for attentional issues…
Rates of prescription varied according to age, with the highest number of orders being issued in the age group of young adults (19–24). It was also found that the age of the children at the time they were prescribed stimulants or antidepressants fell in line nicely with the average age of onset for the conditions (ADHD, depression, anxiety) they are meant to treat”
I feel like there’s a thing with a lot of people I know being diagnosed with mental health problems as children but not trying medication until their 20s. Just, like, “dealing with it” for years for no reason.
