Time to re-open public debate about ADHD trends, safety implications for college campuses

By Gretchen LeFever Watson. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every 10 American children over the age of three has been diagnosed with ADHD. Before turning 18, nearly 14 percent of children will have been diagnosed. Most will receive ADHD drugs. Fearing that the popular response to this report will be “shock,” Psychiatrist John T. Walkup and two junior colleagues published a “reassuring” commentary that accompanied the CDC report (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, November 2013). Of concern, the commentary appears to be an attempt to forestall important public debate that has critical safety implications for college and university campuses. More...