sychiatrists and parents are often torn over giving
psychostimulants to children suffering from
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The recent finding
that kids with ADHD are reluctant to credit medication for their
behavioral improvement won't do much to resolve this controversy.Jason J. Washburn, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, asked children treated for ADHD and their parents what made a difference in the child's behavior: Was it the pill, the child or both?
The answer depends on whom you ask, says Washburn, who presented his study of 8- to 13-year-olds at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Parents and children attributed positive results to both the medication and efforts by the child. However, parents were likely to give more credit to the medication, while children gave more credit to themselves.
The findings are encouraging, says Washburn. "When these children go on medication, parents are often concerned that daily pill-taking will damage the child's self-esteem and that they will feel helpless without the medication," he says. "Our findings show that children don't ask, 'Is it the pill or me?' They say, 'It's the pill and me, too.' "
