Most children are drug-Americans

American children in approximately three times more likely to appoint psychotropic medications for children in Europe. A new study published in the BioMed Central open access journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health said that differences could be considered for the management of cultural practices and beliefs about the role of drugs on the emotional problems and behavioral problems.


Julie Zito led a group of researchers from the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands investigated that the recipe in the three countries. She said antidepressants and stimulants prevalence of three or more times higher in the U.S. than in the Netherlands and Germany, while the anti-psychotic prevalence was 1.5 to 2.2 times higher. "

The use of antidepressants Prozac, as well as stimulants like Ritalin in children has been under great controversy, and the study of quantitative differences in practice between the U.S. and Western Europe. The authors argue that the difference may be partly due to different classification systems for diagnosis, "the U.S. growth trend bipolar diagnosis in children and adolescents are not in line with European practice." The authors also noted the limitations of public spending in Europe, the largest number of child psychiatrists per capita in the United States and the use of two or more psychotropic drugs for one year in the U.S. children as a possible explanation.

Zito to the conclusion that "direct consumer advertising of drugs in the United States, it is also to address some differences. The increasing use of drugs in the U.S. also reflects the individualistic and activist therapeutic mentality in the U.S. medical culture."

Source : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/123025.php