Medicating Adolescence?

With doctors prescribing antipsychotics with the gusto that gym teachers extol the virtues of team spirit, I wonder if I and my siblings would now be medicated for what was considered normal teenage angst: In the Nineties I was depression-riddled, withdrawn, and irritable. My brother was a pain in the ass, booze-swilling megalomaniac, my sister was a control-freak, rage-aholic. Yet we got out of that time in our lives without much psychological intervention, and absolutely no psychiatric medication. I doubt things would be the same for us now as it seems the school nurse's bin has turned into some kind of Brave New World prescription soda fountain. How'd this happen?

According to an article in the The New York Times, pscyhiatrists are falling prey to the marketing ploys of the pharmaceutical industry. Recent analysis shows that where marketing dollars are spent, prescriptions are written: From 2000 to 2005 in Minnesota, while drug manufacturer's spending increased six-fold on psychiatrist's consulting fees, money spent on antipscyhotics for children increased 9-fold. And proving a certain smarmy correlation, those psychiatrists who received the most in consulting fees also prescribed the most antipsychotics to children. (Minnesota is the only state in the country that makes this kind of information public.)

The Times article also points to another party: parents. It seems that Gen Xers are now passing off their quick-fix "Prozac Nation" mentality to their children, apparently viewing adolescent angst as an illness, not a stage.

One child, Anya Bailey at the age of 12, was given the antipsychotic Risperdal for its typically undesirable side effect of weight gain because she had developed an eating disorder. Risperdal is only approved for the use in children for aggression in Autism. It also approved for use in adult schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It is not approved for use in weight gain. But, from what I remember of 7th grade, if you didn't have some problem with your looks or your weight, then you were a slut.

Unfortunately for Anya, who did gain weight (and whose picture was on the front page of the Times) she also developed another side effect that causes serious, painful clinching of her back muscles. Anya's mom now wishes she had waited to see whether counseling would have helped Anya before trying the drugs and also says she had no idea that the drug at the time was not approved for the use in children. Here's a tip to all the Ms Baileys out there: talking to your child about her problems is what you're here for and researching the drugs that you're putting her on is an excellent idea.

Still other parents seemingly have no regrets. The satisfied parent of another child, a 17-year-old boy on Seroquel and Abilify for his intense mood swings, said, "he’s pleasant to be around.”

But are 17-year-olds supposed to be pleasant? Not from what I remember.

LINK (The New York Times)