Before Christmas I was contacted by the monthly publication Youth Work Now to write an opinion piece for the January issue of the magazine. I decided to base my article on a post I wrote back in November about findings of ADHD medication. Here is my piece that was published in the magazine today:

Drugs don’t always work for ADHD sufferers

I’ve worked with many young people with behaviour problems and hyperactive disorders since I started out in youth work around eight years ago. I’ve lost count of the number of conversations I’ve had with concerned families about how their child is “out of control” or “needs sorting out” because they are unable to cope with the erratic behaviour.

Invariably over time, most of these families have turned to their GP for support and the young person has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They have then been started on a course of medication with varying results.

When working with medicated young people, I find that some practically become vegetables when their tablets kick in – they are virtually unable to hold a normal conversation or take part in sessions. Others become aggressive, depressed or suicidal as the effects wear off. At times I’ve had to work with parents to administer the medication at the right time in order to get the best possible behaviour from individuals. This convoluted effort just to get participation from a young person has always sat uneasily with me.

There are of course many who have been helped by ADHD medication, but to me it has always seemed an easy solution to a difficult problem. That’s why a recent long-term study into its effects got me quite excited!

The ‘Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD’ by the University of Buffalo in the US followed the treatment of around 600 children in the US from the 1990s. Although researchers found medication to be helpful for up to three years, one of the study’s co-authors said there were “no beneficial effects” of using the medication long-term. In fact, the impact was seemingly negative, as the children and young people involved failed to grow at the normal rate.

Much of our current ADHD treatment strategy is based on a 1999 report, which concluded that medication works better than behavioural therapy after one year. But the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is reviewing its stance on ADHD drugs, which should give rise to other options for families struggling to cope.

Hopefully this will mean fewer vegetative young people and less reliance on medication. It may also enable youth workers to be more creative in delivering activities to young people suffering from the disorder without betraying the values inherent in our work.