Empirical, ethical, and political perspectives on the use of methylphenidate.
The case for methylphenidate (MPH) (Ritalin) rests on claims that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder, that ADHD is biologically rooted, that MPH is effective against ADHD, that nontreatment is developmentally hazardous, and that MPH is a relatively innocuous rather than dangerous treatment. It will be found that the case for MPH rests on the hope that ADHD is a biological disorder and on MPH's short-term suppression of disruptive behavior. The explosion of MPH use on this flimsy evidential base can be explained within a political economy analysis but is difficult to justify ethically. It suggests a disturbing reliance upon drugs to solve problems stemming from a combination of inadequate support for families in modern societies and educational systems pushed to do more with less. Reliance upon a psychoactive medication to make children "ready to learn" is not only unsupported by the evidence, it teaches children incorrect lessons about how to meet the stresses and challenges of life.
Folkehelsa National Institute for Public Health, Norway.
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M
McCubbin
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D
Cohen
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D032763:Behavior Control / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D006801:Humans; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D008774:Methylphenidate