The Medicated Child Essay

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Psychotropic medications are commonly prescribed as the first source of treatment for a range of psychiatric diagnoses in children in a variety of clinical settings. Although they are often effective at treating psychiatric symptoms, the risk of adverse effects in children is not always clear. The Medicated Child broadcasted on PBS in 2008 as a follow up on the 2001 documentary Medicating Kids. Throughout the eight segments of The Medicated Child, many examples of the medical model myth were demonstrated. The information the doctors gave stated drugs were the only course of action. In the documentary, the view is that ADHD and bipolar disorder can only be treated with drugs. The doctors in The Medicated Child attribute all symptoms to a biological dysfunction …show more content…

According to Dr. Patrick Bacon “[i]t really is to some extent an experiment, trying medications in these children of this age. It's a gamble. And I tell parents there's no way to know what's going to work.” Many children with bipolar disorder and ADHD are being treated by pediatricians and family doctors who are less familiar with the diagnosis. John March, child psychiatrist at Duke University states “it’s very tempting to go ahead and add one of the atypical antipsychotics when you've got a kid who's oppositional and aggressive.” An instance in which behavioral intervention could have been used was with Jacob Solomon. He was first diagnosed with ADHD then at the age of nine with a mood disorder and by the age of ten given eight different medications. At three years old, his teachers told his parents he had no impulse control. With behavioral intervention psychologists could look for the underlying issues in the child's social context. They would then be able to treat the underlying social context problem with psychotherapy or family counseling. His teachers

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