One of the long-standing concerns amongst professionals and parents alike is the possibility that early treatment of attention deficit disorder (ADHD) with stimulant medication (such as Ritalin or Adderall) could possibly lead to later problems. New research suggests these concerns are largely unfounded, with one possible exception.
The studies were published in the latest issue of […]

Furious Seasons brings us this advice column where a concerned parent is asking about her daughter’s desire to be diagnosed with ADHD to help her get into college:

[… Y]ou can imagine my surprise when she asked that I take her to the doctor to get a prescription for ADHD medication. I was blown away.
She says […]

The American Heart Association believes that children and teens with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) should get a careful heart evaluation, including an electrocardiogram (ECG), before they begin taking any of the stimulant drugs commonly prescribed to treated ADHD (such as Ritalin).
Children and teens with known or suspected heart conditions should be routinely monitored by their […]

Keeping Kids Healthy is an award winning, long running public television program about pediatrics and parenting. Their archives feature lots of half-hour productions about mental illnesses and behavioural issues in children. One, about bipolar disorder in children, is the second most viewed video in my Vodpod collection, with hundreds of views compared to dozens for […]

“Hi, I’m a rising Hollywood star and need to keep the weight off, any suggestions?”
Sure, try the new fad prescription that all the Hollywood stars are using — Adderall! Yes, that fantastic treatment for ADHD also can help you keep slim and lose those unwanted pounds.
The downside to these off-label prescriptions?
None that we can […]

A longitudinal study was published last month looking at attention deficit disorder (ADHD). Surprisingly, there are actually very few studies on ADHD that follow a set of people diagnosed with the concern over a number of years, so anytime one of these studies gets published, it’s big news.
The study also found that in populations where […]

While most children occasionally exhibit tempter-tantrums, researchers warn that parents may want to be especially vigilant of certain types of tantrums. A recent study finds specific types of tantrum behaviors which appear to be connected to depression or disruptive disorders in children ages three to six.
The researchers, out of the Washington University […]

That’s the question The New York University Child Study Center must be asking itself in regards to its new public awareness campaign about childhood mental illness, in New York City. The problem? Their “edgy” advertising may have gone too far and alienated the very parents they were seeking to provide outreach to.
The New York Times […]

Have you heard about sensory processing disorder (SPD)? Neither had I until I read this article in the most recent issue of Time Magazine. It’s no wonder… In PsycINFO, the psychological research database, only 29 citations were noted for this disorder, while MEDLINE found 8 articles for “sensory integration dysfunction” (another common term to reference […]

Maybe you should try on some that literally, “block the blues”. Researchers from John Carroll University have developed blue-blocking glasses which they believe reduces symptoms of ADHD and sleep disorders, such as insomnia. According to the researchers, blue rays inhibit the flow of melatonin, the sleep hormone. The glasses work by […]

Some follow-up to a couple of posts here at World of Psychology this week: John wrote about new ADHD research; which is a popular topic, but how well do we understand Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder? Here’s a great video geared to the whole community including parents and researchers. Julie Schweitzer explains what exactly ADHD, […]

Two studies were recently published that shed more light on children with attention deficit disorder (ADHD). One suggests that children ’s brains with ADHD develop more slowly, but eventually catch up with non-ADHD children’s brains. This may suggest a causal relationship for ADHD, or it may simply be as a result of the ADHD (the […]