American Children Take the Most Psychotropic DrugsSep 26, 2008 |
Parker Waichman LLP psychotropic medications than children in
Europe. The study states that the differences may be
attributable to regulatory practices and cultural beliefs about
the role of medication in emotional and behavioral problems.
Julie Zito led the team comprised of researchers from the U.S.,
Germany, and the Netherlands. The group investigated
prescription levels in the three countries. Zito reported that,
"Antidepressant and stimulant prevalence were three or more
times greater in the U.S. than in the Netherlands and Germany,
while antipsychotic prevalence was 1.5 to 2.2 times greater."
The use of antidepressants, such as Prozac, and stimulants, such
as Ritalin, in children has been the subject of much
controversy; this study is believed to quantify the differences
in practice between the US and Western Europe. Study authors
believe the differences may be partly due to different
diagnostic classification systems. For instance, "The U