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STEVE BALDWIN thinks that drugs should never be used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). PAUL COOPER argues for a multimodal response in which drugs can sometimes play a role.
STIM BALDWIN , biochemical imbalance? No. In November 1998 the federal government of the United States of America reported there was no evidence to support the proposition that ADHD was a biological brain dysfunction (NIH, 1998). In the absence of a biological basis for hyperactivity disorders, there is no clinical rationale for dragging children and teenagers with amphetamines. When children are given amphetamines, this is for purposes of social control. Misrepresenting social control as a clinical intervention is health fascism (Baldwin & Anderson, 2000).
Should ADHD be treated with psychostimulants, including methylphenidate (MPH)? No.
The diagnosis of ADHD is based on observations about the behaviour of children and teenagers, not on scientific biochemical markers such as blood analysis, genetic screening or metabolic tests. There are no reliable scientific criteria for an ADHD diagnosis. Judgements are made by parents, teachers and medical personnel using unreliable and invalid checklists. In the UK many children have been given a blind diagnosis (i.e. via the internet or telephone) by paediatricians, psychiatrists and educational psychologists who have not even completed a clinical interview (Baldwin & Anderson, 2000). When these so-called 'experts' are presented with the evidence of hyperactivity disorders, they are unable to recognise it reliably (Anderson & Baldwin, 2000). Economic self-interests (e.g. parents charged exorbitant fees for supposed advice and interventions) have prevailed over clinical science.
There is no scientific evidence for drugging minors with MPH, as no adequate dataset (i.e. from randomised controlled trials or double-blind studies) has ever been published in international refereed journals. The most recent report (MTA Cooperative Group, 1999a, 1999b) that claims support for drugging children has many flaws (e.g. 'testing' the efficacy of behavioural therapies by medical staff unqualified to complete such work) (Breggin, 2000). Many of the researchers in the MTA study were funded by the drug industry. All the evidence from 45 years of research with MPH has confirmed its toxicity, its potential for outright addiction and the high probability of irreversible side-effects when prescribed to infants, juveniles and teenagers.
Is MPH addictive? Yes. Methylphenidate is a...