ADHD Diagnoses in Children Spurred a Medication Boom
Lawrence Diller • 3/18/2015
Doctors, especially psychiatrists, have been changing their view of children's problems since the 1970s. Before then, based on the Freudian model, Johnny's problems were considered the result of inner conflicts generated primarily by his relationship with his mother. But in 1980, with the publication of DSM-III, a new concept---for most psychiatric conditions, including ADHD---was announced. The diagnosis of ADHD and the use of drugs like Ritalin rose at rates never before seen in this country---or anywhere else, for that matter. The year 1991 marked a veritable sea change---a social movement began that changed the way our society views children's misbehavior and underperformance.
Daily Blog
The rise of the ADHD diagnosis
Lawrence Diller • 1/1/2008
Magazine Article
Ritalin and the Growing Influence of Big Pharma
Lawrence Diller • 1/1/2005
Researchers and practitioners alike have long been concerned that Ritalin use in childhood could lead to later drug abuse. But when a University of California researcher published a study that seemed to confirm those concerns, she set of a firestorm in the world of ADHD treatment.
Magazine Article
Is It the Drug of Choice or the Drug of Convenience?
Lawrence Diller • 5/2/1999
It's midday at an elementary school in a comfortable American suburb. The lunch bell has just rung, and the kids are noisily pouring out of classrooms to enjoy a brief recess in the schoolyard before mealtime. Inside, next door to the principal's office, the school secretary is arranging bottles of medication on a tray.
Magazine Article