Wednesday 3 September 2008

ADHD – behaviour therapy better than drugs

via Mental Health Update by John Gale on 22 August

Parents whose children are diagnosed with ADHD often ask for, or are given, drugs for their children. However, research from the largest ever study into treatments for ADHD has found that behavioural interventions can lead to less use of medication and smaller dosages when it is used. Although medication can dampen down symptoms of ADHD such as restlessness and fidgeting they don't address the impairments caused by ADHD such as a lack of successful interactions with peers, deficits in reading and maths skills and difficult relationships with parents and family members. There is also some doubt over the physical effect of the drugs with some research suggesting that heavy doses over long periods may reduce a child's adult height by two inches.

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