The purpose of this section of the website is to educate readers about how the condition known as ADHD and the therapies used to treat it have interacted with society, how the effects of ADHD have impacted society, and in turn how these effects have changed conceptions about the disorder and how it should be treated. The focus is not solely on clinical diagnosis, although information about diagnosis is included in order to fully understand the societal implications of the disorder.
5. Differences in ADHD in Boys and Girls
According to a report published by the DEA in 1996, prescriptions for Ritalin, a form of methylphenidate that is the most commonly-prescribed drug treatment for ADHD, had increased 500 percent in the six years prior to the report (http://www.add-adhd.org). Indeed, diagnosis of ADHD has increased dramatically over the past two decades, and this explosion raises a myriad of social issues with it, especially when considering that a prescription of Ritalin or another form of stimulant medication usually accompanies a diagnosis of the disorder. The following sections are about the causes and effects of this meteoric rise in ADHD diagnoses and Ritalin prescriptions.
7. Reasons for the Rise in ADHD Diagnoses
F. Legal Issues Associated With Ritalin Abuse
G. The Future of Ritalin Abuse
Special thanks to Dr. Peter Williamson, Ph. D, of St. Mary's Hospital, Madison, WI.