ADHD : drug use soars

A study of the prescribing patterns of child psychiatrists and paediatricians at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust has shown that drug prescribing for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has soared by 26% in a year. The study found a 22.9% increase in stimulant prescriptions and a 40.1% increase in the prescription of non-stimulant (atomoxetine) drugs between 2005 and 2006. The increase in prescriptions reported in the Kent Journal of Mental Health comes despite recent U.S. research suggesting that drugs are no better than therapy for ADHD in the long term.