January 16, 2003
CLOCKWORK CHILDREN:
More Kids Receiving Psychiatric Drugs: Question of 'Why' Still Unanswered (Shankar Vedantam, January 14, 2003, Washington Post)The number of American children being treated with psychiatric drugs has grown sharply in the past 15 years, tripling from 1987 to 1996 and showing no sign of slowing, researchers said yesterday.A newly published study, the most comprehensive to date, found that by 1996, more than 6 percent of children were taking drugs such as Prozac, Ritalin and Risperdal, and the researchers said the trajectory continued to rise through 2000.
While the increase may partly reflect better diagnosis of mental illness in children, the authors said they fear that cost-saving techniques by insurance companies, marketing by the pharmaceutical industry and increased demands on parents and doctors may be driving the increase.
One issue that, as we've written, improbably enough unites Francis Fukuyama, Glenn Reynolds (Brains: Good, Bad, and Modified) and Leon Kass (see this piece by Mr. Kass) is the scary ethical implications of using biopharmaceuticals to control behavior. As Mr. Reynolds wrote:
You can control the brain chemistry of large, unconsenting populations with less sophisticated technologies if you get enough government involved. In fact, we're already doing that at the behest of many in public schools, for what else is it when children, usually boys, who in a prior age were simply regarded as unruly are now given Ritalin and other medications intended to change their classroom behavior by changing their brain chemistry? While professional doomsayers and White House committees study the ethics of cloning, millions of American children are--and this is not alarmism, but literal truth--having their minds controlled by the government, with surprisingly little debate. Why the disparity in attention?
Of course, the connection he refuses to make is that parents (as much as schools, or "government") who are willing to do this to make their kids pliable in the first place seem quite likely to bioengineer behaviors into them when given the chance. Posted by Orrin Judd at January 16, 2003 10:01 PM
My wife and I had a talk about this a while back. I think the conclusion was "death before Ritalin."
I personally think it's a confluence of factors that's given rise to Ritalin over-use: Older parents who can't remember being kids (although my father was in his forties when half of us came along, and he always seemed to have more than enough energy and time for us, so maybe I should say "spoiled older parents"); an increasingly radicalized and feminized teaching corps; and a society that only likes emotional outbursts if they come from recognizably oppressed social groups.
First teacher who demands Ritalin for my kid (happened to my in-laws) better have more than a little martial arts training, is all I'm saying.
A friend of mine used to say she dreaded the weekends because then she had to spend time with her 3 year old son. It was easier during the week when the kid was packed off to day care at 6 a.m., picked up at 5 p.m. and asleep by 7. When the child wasn't eating, bathing, getting ready for bed or day care, how much actual time was she spending with him? I'm not passing judgement on working moms, but if you spend no time with the kid, you don't know how to deal with the kid. It goes that way for dads, too.
A magic prescription with a blessing from your pediatrician and the guilt relief that it is htd and not anything you are doing, must look heaven sent. And a lot of teachers would be interested in something that would make their jobs easier.
The funny part is, my daughter's school had its annual D.A.R.E. week where they preach that there is not much difference between a beer, a cigarette, heroin, pot, etc. Since these programs are in the public schools (at least here in FLA) I wonder how many kids attend those D.A.R.E. rallies under the influence of ritalin?
I'm with Christopher on this one - I've got 3 boys, and I'm just waiting for the fight that follows from the first suggestion that one of them go on the pills...
Posted by: Bill at January 17, 2003 9:45 PMOh come on, folks, sometimes a medicine is just a medicine. Some kids are more than just unruly -- they have a definable medical problem. I certainly wouldn't deny my child a necessary medical therapy, especially if said therapy would help her in school, home, etc.
Christopher: if your child's teacher suggests ritalin, don't put up your dukes. Instead, have your child evaluated by an experienced, competent pediatrician. Get a second opinion if necessary. Listen to what they say.
Steve:
There are, of course, some kids with real problems, but the numbers are pretty staggering, of how many boys are being given drugs to control their behavior.
Steve: If the teacher is the only one suggesting this -- if the kid doesn't show any "signs" other than when he's at school, when my wife, who sees him the rest of the time, sees nothing -- then I don't think the teacher's statement raises a rebuttable presumption that the kid needs to be doped. Put differently: Kids with ADHD (or whatever it's called) don't simply turn it "on" at school, then "off" at home. If we've missed it to that point, it isn't there.
If I seem somewhat sensitive to this, it's because my brother-in-law -- who, with due respect to the kid, has never been close to hyper, or even active -- is basically on a chemical plan because he likes(d) to play Cowboys and Indians
Native Persons. I'm not exaggerating. His female teacher, and the female principal, felt that a boy that "rambunctious" (if you knew him, you'd laugh) must have a problem.
Oh, and for reference: I didn't say I
was the one who would do the swinging. My wife is from Joisey.
I was just wanted to ask if you had a very Merry Christmas / Holiday, and to wish you the very best for the New Year.
BTW, In saw something on another blog site I think it is a good idea to let as many people / bloggers know about. I was just organizing my vacation for later this year and stumbled across the above web site about Bali, where I was considering going. But just read what it says there and especially between the lines; unreal. A travel agent there Bali Discovery Tours of Sanur went to their friend the police chief and made trouble for someone visiting the island who had caught this travel agent offering unauthorized room rates on the Internet for the Hotel Santika Beach in Kuta, which is where I was going to stay, but thank God I am not now (I am not even going to Bali becuase of this) - seems to me like the hotel did not exactly help!
The poor guy was detained by the police for 4 days and had his passport illegally seized. He was not released until the British Embassy filed a formal complaint. Of course, there were no charges!! This is absolutely terrible. Please, please, please, join me in saying "Stuff Bali - I'm going somewhere where they treat people like guests, not enemies".