Will the "real boy" please behave: dosing dilemmas for parents of boys with ADHD.
The use of Ritalin and other stimulant drug treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) raises distinctive moral dilemmas for parents; these moral dilemmas have not been adequately addressed in the bioethics literature. This paper draws upon data from a qualitative empirical study to investigate parents' use of the moral ideal of authenticity as part of their narrative justifications for dosing decisions and actions. I show that therapeutic decisions and actions are embedded in valued cultural ideals about masculinity, self-actualization and success, as well as in moral conceptions of authenticity and personal freedom. I argue that this investigation of parents' moral justifications and dosing dilemmas raises questions about the validity of authenticity as a transcendent moral principle. Moreover, this study demonstrates that in order to be relevant, bioethical analysis of neurocognitive enhancement must engage with ground-up studies of moral principles and decision-making in context.
Singh
Ilina
I
London School of Economics.
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D032763:Behavior Control / Q000941:ethics / Q000523:psychology; D024803:Biomedical Enhancement / Q000941:ethics; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003657:Decision Making; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D026689:Ethical Analysis; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D033262:Narration; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality / Q000187:drug effects; D036301:Qualitative Research; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate