Prescription for restraint in ADHD.

Public fears that physicians too frequently prescribe stimulant medications for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and less severe behavioral problems appear to be unfounded, a new study finds.

Psychiatrist Peter S. Jensen of the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md., and his colleagues examined data from a 1992 survey that included detailed descriptions of behavior for 1,285 children. The youngsters, ages 9 to 17, lived in New Haven, Conn., Westchester County, N.Y., San Juan, Puerto Rico, or Atlanta.

Only 8 of 66 children who met the standard criteria for ADHD received stimulant treatment, as did 4 of 320 with other psychiatric conditions and 4 of 899 who warranted no such diagnoses, the scientists report in the July JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY. A minority of kids with ADHD or other mental disorders obtained special assistance at school or mental-health services.

Many pediatricians may be uncomfortable with prescribing stimulants for ADHD or may opt for low, fixed doses that prove ineffective and are then discontinued, the researchers suggest.

They plan to look at more recent data to see if the 1992 prescribing patterns still hold.