Is A. D.H.D. being over diagnosed?
This interesting and informative NY Times article discusses the increased prevalence of A.D.H.D., increased rates of prescription drugs for treatment, and new widened diagnostic criteria. Pulling on recent CDC data, the Times authors state that diagnoses of A. D. H. D. have increased by 41% in the past decade. While prevalence varies from state to state, some states showed as many as 23% of boys being diagnosed with A.D.H.D.
Likewise, the rate of prescribed stimulants has increased dramatically. According to the Times, sales of stimulants for A.D.H.D. have increased from $4 billion in 2007 to $9 billion in 2007. This is worrisome to me because it means there are a lot of pills floating around out there. Adolescents and college students can sell them, use them for party drugs, and take them as study aids during finals. The attached article is well worth reading, I hope you will take a look. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/01/health/more-diagnoses-of-hypera...