Tonight, Katie Couric interviewed both the mother of Rebecca Riley (the former is charged in the latter’s death) and Dr. Joseph Biederman, the guy who basically helped “invent” childhood bipolar disorder (as we reported here and here, ). The mother is basically implicated in killing her child because she overmedicated the child. And yet, the child’s psychiatrist diagnosed the child as “bipolar disorder” just before her 3rd birthday (according to the 60 minutes report). Bipolar disorder is only recognized as an adult disorder and diagnosis. It’s use in children is highly controversial.

The “symptoms” of Rebecca Riley that were described in the 60 minutes report suggests that it could’ve been anything — normal childhood development or who knows what. The biggest problem with the supposed childhood bipolar diagnosis is that it is so broad as it cannot differentiate between normal childhood behaviors (or those that fall just somewhat outside of the norm) and a serious, real mental disorder.

Shouldn’t we wait before prescribing adult-strength, mind-changing psychiatric medications to children, you know, until more safety and efficacy studies are done on actual children? In the common cry amongst doctors and researchers that justify their findings, they pull out the sympathy card that is supposed to substitute for good science:

“[...] The patients that come to me, these families in tears and despair, with these kinds of problems, I in good faith can not tell them to come back in 10 years, when we’ll have more data than we have today…” — Dr. Biederman

Actually, Dr. Biederman, you can. Because the first thing you agreed to is “do no harm.” If you don’t know what or to what extent medications you prescribe (or those who follow your religion) will negatively impact their target population — e.g., children — then you shouldn’t be recommending it.

And that’s a good excuse to pretty much let people do anything they want to do with any medication, damn the FDA. But that’s not how our country works, and for good reason — it’s darned dangerous!

Who’s to blame for Rebecca Riley’s death? I think that the prescribing psychiatrist is partially to blame, as well as her parents who administered the medications. Should the mother be standing trial for murder, though? Absolutely not. That’s as much an overreaction to the case as any.

Living with the death of her own child will be punishment enough.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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From Psych Central's World of Psychology:
Social Anxiety Disorder and Its Cure - World of Psychology (10/1/2007)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 30 Sep 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.