Introduction The number of individuals diagnosed for one or more mental disorders and consequently treated with a corresponding drug has significantly increased the past several years. The following statistics displaying this are shocking: * 8.5 million people are prescribed Effexor, an anti-depressant every year (Harris, 2004). * More than 1 million children and teenagers are taking drugs for some form of mental disorder (Elias, 2004). * There are close to 2 million cases each year of drug complications that result in 180,000 deaths or life-threatening illnesses in the eldery (Langreth, 2004). These alarming figures call us to question the causes behind this influx of diagnosed mental disorders as well as the consequential drug prescription as a solution. When asked to discuss the ethics of the mental pursuit of perfection, there are several different aspects to consider. The main ethical issues raised lie in the prescription of drugs to children and the over prescription of drugs. In addition, I will discuss who and what are responsible for our culture’s desire to “quick fix” every definable problem with some type of drug, be it prescribed, non-prescribed, or self-prescribed. Mental Disorders in Children When one thinks about mental disorders in respect to children, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) immediately comes to mind. Defined now as “children who are excessively active, are unable to sustain their attention, and are deficient in their impulse control to a degree that is deviant for their developmental level” (Loewenton, 2002), ADHD now affects up to 5% of schoolchildren and continues in roughly 60% of those youths as they age (Henderson, 2004). There are many different opinions re... ... middle of paper ... ...ago Press, 2002. Langreth, Robert. “Just Say No!” Forbes. 29 November, 2004. pgs. 103-112 Loewenton, Ed. “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” Turner toys. 4 October 2004. . Merrow, John. “Attention Deficit Disorder-A Dubious Diagnosis?” The Merrow Report. 4 October.< http://www.pbs.org/merrow/tv/add/chadd.html>. Moore, Thomas. “No prescription for happiness.” Boston Globe 17 October 1999. . USA Today. “FDA cites possible suicide link between children, Paxil.” USA Today. 19 June, 2003. . Zernike, Kate and Melody Petersen. “Schools’ Backing of Behavior Drugs Comes Under Fire.” New York Times: 18 August 2004. .
As science has evolved, so have treatments for mental illnesses have over time. The medical model is described as the view that psychological disorders are medical diseases with a biological origin (King, 2010, pg. 413). Abnormal behavior that categorizes some disorders can be impacted by biological factors such as genes, psychological factors such as childhood experiences, and even sociocultural factors such as gender and race (King, 2010). Treatments such as psychosurgery (lobotomy) , drug therapy (pharmaceuticals), electroconclusive therapy, and psychoanalysis are used to treat a wide range of psychological disorders. Back then, the public’s negative views on mental illnesses also went as far to associate with the people who treated it; psychiatrists. “Nunnally (1961) found that the public evaluated professionals who treated mental disorders significantly more negatively than those who treat physical disorders,” (Phelan, Link, Stueve, & Pescosolido, 2000, pg. 189). People back then didn’t see the point in “paying to be told that they were crazy”. However, in today’s society, it is now acceptable to seek help from psychiatric professionals; we are seeing more and more people seek mental health treatment. “In terms of facility-based records of utilization (Manderscheid and Henderson 1998), the data suggest that the rate of utilization of professional mental health services has at least doubled and maybe tripled, between the 1950’s and today,” (Phelan, Link, Stueve, & Pescosolido, 2000, pg. 189). In the 1950’s, neuroleptic drugs like Thorazine were introduced to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia. These drugs block a neurotransmitter called dopamine from getting to the brain, which in turn reduce schizophrenic symptoms, however there are some side effects such as substantial twitching of the neck, arms, and legs, and even dysphoria or lack of pleasure. (King, 2010, pg.
While the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association) put forth a list of behaviors which predominantly fall in the category of ADD and/or ADHD, many researchers still maintain that there is no set way to diagnosis or develop a treatment program to these disorders which will be guaranteed to work. At the same time there is another set of researchers who maintain that these disorders actually do not exist at all. However, in the real world, parents and educators still continue to struggle with the task of coping with children who are hyperactive and who have very low attention span and whose behavior often interferes with schooling and family life. [Armstrong, 1997]
FDA research has shown that tricyclic antidepressants such as Paxil can actually increase the severity of depression and suicidal behavior in teens and young adults. In the shocking expose “Treating the Mentally Ill,” medical journalist Rob Waters warns “Antidepressants including Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Effexor have provoked hostile behavior and thoughts about suicide in a number of teenagers who have been prescribed the drugs. Some of th...
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), once called hyperkinesis or minimal brain dysfunction, is one of the most common mental disorders among children. (Elia, Ambrosini, Rapoport, 1999) It affects 3 to 5 percent of all children, with approximately 60% to 80% of these children experiencing persistence of symptoms into adolescence and adulthood, causing a lifetime of frustrated dreams and emotional pain. There are two types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an inattentive type and a combined type. The symptoms of ADHD can be classified into three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This behaviour stops ADHD sufferers from focussing deliberately on organising and completing a specific task that they may not enjoy, learning new skills or information is proved to be impossible. An example of such behaviour is recognised by the report written by the National Institute of Mental Health where one of the subjects under study was unable to pass schooling examinations due to her inattentive behaviour. Such behaviour can damage the person's relationships with others in addition to disrupting their daily life, consuming energy, and diminishing self-esteem. (National Institute of Mental Health 1999) There are also secondary symptoms which are associated with ADHD, such as learning disorders, anxiety, depression and other mood disorders, tic disorders, and conduct disorders. (Spencer, Biederman, and Wilens 1999 in Monastra V, Monastra D, George, 2002)
In today’s society there are issues brought up daily on the news about political regimes and debates, however a much more debilitating issue is . Children, as young as two years old are being put on drugs that are stated “more addictive than cocaine”. Instead of gummy vitamins 7 million kids are given a prescription drugs before they go to school. Seven million kids are being handed a drug that’s “more addictive than cocaine” everyday! As the child grows with the medication, they are faced with an even bigger problem than originally. Any anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and/or stimulant given to an adolescent under the age eighteen, puts the child at great health risk. Yet, the government, doctors and schools continue
At least one in four families in the U.S. is affected by mental illnesses. Unfortunately there is no cure for this range of illnesses, which have been around for thousands of years. Of the American adult population, 5.4 percent have a serious mental illness. These health conditions are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, behavior, or some combination of these. They are also associated with distress and sometimes impaired functioning. In 1990 the total cost of mental health services in the U.S. was $148 billion. According to a new report by the Mental Health Foundation, one in five children suffer from a mental health problem. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder is a mental illness that is diagnosed mainly in young children and doesn’t always disappear in adulthood.” All we know is that this genetic, inherited condition [ADHD] is not due to brain damage at all but rather a variation in how the brain functions.” Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes symptoms and characteristics that can be placed in one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. These characteristics commonly leave a person with ADHD with lack of attention span, easily distracted, fidgety, struggling to stay seated, having trouble engaging in calm activities, impatient, and talking excessively or out of turn. A new study by researchers says that hyperactive children have behavioral differences due to under active parts of their brain, a biological malfunction, rather than due to way they were brought up. This was revealed by a magnetic scanning device that allowed researchers to look at the brains of children diagnosed with ADHD. These studies and statistics reinforce the claim that mental illnesses are not invented simply to justify drugging of children and a disease that needs be educated to the public for better understanding. Rather, ADHD is an illness that affects many people throughout their lives. This topic is often misunderstood by the public. The media and medical community need to educate the positive side of this controversy and not just show the opposing view, which often times misrepresented by the media.
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
Whitaker, Leighton C. "Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America." Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry 13.2 (2011): 169-71. Print.
The disorder which is being treated is actually strengthened to the point of a serious mental illness. Similarly, in today’s society, medical and psychological advice may have the same effect. Medical technology and practice have progressed considerably since the time of the “Yellow Wallpaper.” This is not to say that today’s physicians are infallible. Perhaps some of today’s treatments are the “Yellow Wallpaper” of the future.
“Teens Abusing and Selling Ritalin for High.” ABC News. ABC News Internet Ventures. 25 Feb. 2014. Web. 6 March 2014.
Doward, J. (2013), Medicine's big new battleground: does mental illness really exist? The Observer 12 May.
According to a variety of clinical studies appearing in various peer-reviewed journals, only 8% of children and 5% of adults have ADHD, but 21 to 45% of all criminals in US prison have ADHD (Quily.) One of the most prevalent mental conditions in children, ADHD is also one of the fastest growing mental health problems for school-age populations (Wolfe.) Its occurrence appears to be anywhere between 2 to 10% of children in school, and corresponds to 7.4% of parents with children ages 3-17 indicating that they have been notified that their child has this condition. As a result, treatment numbers for ADHD have dramatically increased over the last few decades; ADHD is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls although there are no discernible disparities in diagnosis by race. A great deal of research has focused on short-term consequences of this condition on school-age children, including an increased...
The common knowledge is that majority of the mass shooters have been found to have severe mental illness that could have received treatment for their participation in the shooting. The fact that the access to most of these mental treatment facilities is available to those people with money leaves those without the money to access to the medical treatment a security risk. I this case the combination of an assortment of factors are making the young people helpless in the society whose chief drive is seeking money. The rising cases of drug abuse such as the use of Xanax as well as other antipsychotic and mood altering prescription drugs are inflating the problem of drug abuse. The 1980s saw the use of these drugs become popular in the society and consequently resulted in the rise of the horrific shooting incidences (Grier, 2014). Additionally, it has been found that almost every other shooter has been found to have been using a certain type of these prescription
Bernstein reflects upon parents are often stressed about their children consuming alcohol and marijuana while they are attending school, at a party or sleeping over a friend’s house for the night. That being the case, there is a now a new issue to worry about as well, their own medicine cabinet. Under those circumstances, the article goes on to state; a trend of the abuse of prescription drugs among adolescents rage from, attention-deficit drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall (used to improve concentration or weight loss), painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin along with Percocet (Bernstein,
George, S. and Bache, I. 2001.Politics In the European Union. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.