Consumer Reports Survey Finds Parents Conflicted on ADHD Drugs

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is now a commonly diagnosed neurological disorder affecting between 8-9 percent of children ages 8-15 in the United States, meaning that out of a class of 25 it is likely that two will have ADHD. How those two are treated may make the difference in their adult life and parents struggle to make the right decisions for their ADHD child.

The exact cause of ADHD is not known. There is more and more evidence that ADHD stems from biological causes, dispelling the previous notion that home environment was the central cause. This is not to say that environmental factors do not influence the severity of the disorder nor the degree of impairment and suffering the child experiences. Whatever the root cause, ADHD can have a severe, life altering and negative impact on practically every aspect of daily functioning for the child affected. Early diagnosis and treatment of ADHD is imperative in helping the child to achieve their full potential.

There are a wide range of treatment choices, ranging from counseling to medications. Typical treatments include:

• Psychotherapy: does not address the symptoms or causes, but helps children with ADHD to like and accept themselves despite their disorder.
• Behavioral therapy: helps the child develop more effective ways to work on immediate issues by giving practical assistance, like help with organization of tasks or schoolwork.
• Social skills training: can also help children learn new behaviors such as waiting for a turn, sharing toys, or asking for help; giving the child better ways to play and work with other children.
• Drug Therapy: used to treat the symptoms of ADHD. The medications that seem to be the most effective are a class of drugs known as stimulants.
  
  

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) not only benefit in the short term from medications taken to treat their condition, but may also benefit in the long term. Evidence shows children who take prescribed medications to treat ADHD, such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall, are benefiting from higher test scores during grade school than those children with ADHD who are not taking medication for their disorder. A new Consumer Reports survey supports this theory.

Consumer Reports conducted a health survey, interviewing 934 parents of children with ADHD. The survey asked about medications, non-medical therapies, strategies and physicians. Eighty-four percent of the families had tried medication since the ADHD diagnosis, with 67 percent believing that the drugs had helped. More than 50 percent of the families surveyed had tried two or more drugs in past three years.

Parents reported that the medication was the most helpful with academic performance and behavior at school, while being less helpful with behavior at home, social relationships, and self esteem. Surprisingly, parents acknowledged the effectiveness of drug therapy but only 52 percent “agreed strongly” that if they had to do it over again, they would have their kids take medications, and 44 percent wished there was another way to help their child.