According to a U.S. study, spending on stimulants and other psychiatric medications being used to treat young people with hyperactivity and depression have increased significantly.

Characteristics of the study include:

• In a group of children studied between the years of 2000 and 2003, there was a 77 percent increase on the spending of behavioral medications.
• Prescription information was reviewed for 300,000 U.S. youth aged 19 and younger
• Spending on behavioral medications jumped to $6.4 million in 2003--up from $3.6 million in 2000.
• Around 5 percent of the participants in the study took at least one type of behavioral drug.
• The study also found that since 2000 there has been a 142 percent increase in the treatment of autism and other so-called "behavior disorders."

Supporters of these psychiatric medications believed the increase was due to better access to health care and therefore a higher number of diagnoses. Critics, on the other hand, disagreed and claimed that society had become too dependent on finding a quick fix and overmedicating youth was not the solution.

Research has revealed that the biggest increase was in the amount of money spent on medications to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, particularly among very young children. It was also discovered that hyperactivity drug spending for all children and teenagers has increased by 183 percent, and 369 percent in children ages 4 and younger.

Yahoo! News May 17, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I wholeheartedly agree with the critics in this article who stated that society has become much too reliant on turning to medication as the answer to treating the youth of today. Drugs are no more than a quick fix to these problems that could be treated effectively with much healthier and safer options. I find the results from this study both sad and tragic, as simple diet modifications are usually the only thing that is required for effective care. In terms of ADD and ADHD, which as the article mentioned was the area that had the biggest increase in spending, radical improvement in behavior is typically seen when one: Decreases or eliminates sugar, grains and fruit juices Adds fish oil or cod liver oil Drinks water as their primary beverage Other useful approaches can be reviewed in the interview we did three years ago with the late Dr. Lendon Smith Dr. Smith was practicing medicine before I was even born and had accumulated a vast amount of knowledge during that time period. It is great to read about non-toxic, non-drug therapies for treating ADD and ADHD, which is a rampant problem amongst our children. Related Articles: Antidepressants Causing Suicides in Kids Antidepressants May Trigger Violent Behavior Sugar Pills Work as Well As Antidepressants Antidepressants and Suicide in Children: Why Did the Warnings Take so Long? More People on Antidepressants Psychiatric Drug Use In Toddlers Soars -- More Kids Ages 2 to 4 On Ritalin, Antidepressants