UN advises
ADHD misdiagnosed and drugs over-prescribed
CRC/C/15/Add.273
Original:
English
COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Fortieth session
CONSIDERATION
OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION
Mental
health services
1.
While acknowledging the measures taken to strengthen the mental health
care services, the Committee is concerned at the remaining challenges such as the
fact that a considerable number of children and young people are placed in
adult psychiatric centers. The Committee is deeply concerned at the high rate of
suicide in
2.
The Committee
encourages the State party to continue and strengthen the development of mental
health care so as to ensure that adequate treatment/care are provided to all
children and young people in order to avoid their placement in adult
psychiatric centers. It further recommends that the State party strengthen its
measure to prevent suicide among adolescent, particularly in
3.
The Committee is concerned at the information that
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficient
Disorder (ADD) are being misdiagnosed and therefore psycho-stimulant drugs are
being over-prescribed, despite the growing evidence of the harmful effects of
these drugs.
4. The Committee recommends that further research be undertaken on the
diagnosis and the treatment of ADHD and ADD, including possible negative
effects of psychological well-being of children, and that other forms of
management and treatment are used as much as possible to address these
behavioral disorder.