Troubled Teens Resources

Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder presents numerous quandaries for parents raising troubled teenagers. So much of the treatment is based on the specific needs of the teens. There are cases where minimal medication is required and then there are those teens whose ADHD is present with other factors that make it harder to treat. For instance, a teen might also be dealing with other emotional issues that are exacerbated by ADHD.

Parents need to also consider the future ramifications of treating an ADHD teen with medication. Some experts claim it pre-disposes them towards teen age drug abuse. A new report suggests that the longer a teen is on Ritalin, the more likely they are to commit a crime.

“Children who use Ritalin for a long period of time could be more at risk of delinquency and substance abuse, a study has found.

Doctors are suggesting children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should take a break from medication after three years of use.

An American study - published in the Medical Observer _ has found that while drugs such as Ritalin can initially help sufferers, the benefit of prolonged use is in doubt.

Some children stay on medication until they reach 18, but researchers believe it may not protect them from all the symptoms.

The US Multimodal Treatment Study of Children revealed the more days of prescribed medication, the more serious delinquency became.

In a cohort of 500 children with ADHD - followed for 36 months until they were 12 - researchers found 27 per cent were at a greater risk of committing crime, compared with 7 per cent among “normative” children.

Substance use also increased to 17 per cent in ADHD children - almost double the normal rate.”

(Source)