Medicalising ADHD

Do Stimulant Medications Improve Educational and Behavioral
Outcomes for Children with ADHD?
by Janet Currie, Mark Stabile, Lauren E. Jones

http://papers.nber.org/papers/W19105?utm_campaign=ntw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ntw

Abstract:

We examine the effects of a policy change in the province of Quebec, Canada which greatly expanded insurance coverage for prescription
medications. We show that the change was associated with a sharp increase in the use of Ritalin, a medication commonly prescribed for
ADHD, relative to the rest of Canada. We ask whether this increase in medication use was associated with improvements in emotional
functioning and short- and long-run academic outcomes among children with ADHD. We find evidence of increases in emotional problems among girls, and reductions in educational attainment among boys. Our results are silent on the effects on optimal use of medication for ADHD, but suggest that expanding medication use can have negative consequences given the average way these drugs are used in the community.

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Fred
Fred
11 years ago

Another interesting article on the same subject Why French Kids don’t have ADHD

Seb H
Seb H
11 years ago
Reply to  Fred

I love the line: French parents believe that hearing the word “no” rescues children from the “tyranny of their own desires.”

Seb H
Seb H
11 years ago
Reply to  Seb H

^ from the article Fred posted.

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