Children need less medication and more Therapy. Three-quarters of young children with ADHD are receiving medication, but only half are getting therapy
Government health officials are using medical providers to refer parents of preschoolers who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, to therapy sessions rather that turning first to medication.
What is ADHD?
"The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral syndrome, is a disorder characterized by moderate behavior, distraction to severe, periods of brief attention, restlessness, emotional instability and impulsive behaviors. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder most often diagnosed in children, 4 always start in childhood, persists into adulthood in a high percentage of cases and usually causes a very negative impact on multiple areas of operation. Has a very high response to treatment, but is associated with high rates of psychiatry comorbidity.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV): "Usually, symptoms worsen in situations that require attention or effort sustained mental or who lack intrinsic appeal or novelty (p. eg., listening to the teacher in class, do homework, listen to or read long texts that are not on your tastes, or work in monotonous or repetitive tasks) ". Historically, this disorder has received different characterizations and innumerable denominations, which makes difficult the consultations of the especializada5 literature (see deficit hyperactivity disorder') is widely used to refer to this syndrome".
The recommendation, issued recently by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comes alongside a dispatch in the agency's monthly report, called Vital Signs, that shows 75 percent of children ages 2 to 5 with ADHD are already taking medication. Among the concerns is that drugs that treat the condition can cause side effects like irritability and difficulty sleeping and can curb hunger, stunting growth. Further, researchers don't know what the long-term effects of these medicines are for children in this group.
The American Academy of Pediatrics offered similar guidance in 2011, saying medical providers should refer parents to training in behavior therapy before turning to medication. About a third of the 6.4 million children who have the condition, which causes children to be overly active and impulsive and to have difficulty concentrating, are diagnosed before age 6. At that point, symptoms can be very severe, and only half of the children who are diagnosed are receiving recommended behavioral therapy.
But Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director for the CDC, said in a call with reporters that this type of therapy could be as effective as medication.
“We recognize that these are not easy treatment decisions for parents to make,” she said, alluding to the fact that this type of treatment takes more time that medication.
Behavior therapy programs can occur over the course of eight or more sessions, and therapists teach parents how to give their children their full attention and reflect words back to them so their children know they are listening and care about what they have to say. They learn how to praise their children when they do something right and how to set up and follow routines.
"It's like having your own personal coach for dealing with challenging conditions," Dr. Georgina Peacock, director of the CDC’s division of human development and disability, said during the call.
The Vital Signs report analyzed health care claims data from at least 5 million young children between the ages of 2 and 5 who are insured by Medicaid, which is funded by the government, from 2008 to 2011. It also looks at an additional 1 million who were covered by health insurance that employers pay for, from 2008 to 2014. Though it found the same rates of medication prescriptions among both groups, it found that 54 percent of children on Medicaid received psychological services each year, while 45 percent of children with private plans did.
These numbers did not increase over time, and the different rates, between the two groups likely occurs, because not all private health insurance companies will cover behavioral therapy as Medicaid typically does.
The CDC stopped short of saying that young children should never be medicated for ADHD, adding that decision was for parents and doctors and that medication may sometimes be appropriate. With behavioral therapy, however, it's possible that some children may never need medication for ADHD, Peacock said.
Source: Kimberly Leonard
Đăng nhận xét