THE huge increase in the number of children and young people diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has stirred up a hornet’s nest. Many are questioning the appropriateness of medicating children—some barely out of infancy—with drugs such as methylphenidate (Ritalin). But there is an equally serious problem with the diagnosis itself. The loose criteria used to diagnose children as having ADHD are remarkably close to those used to diagnose adults as “psychopathic”. And the British government is drafting plans to lock up people diagnosed as psychopathic to prevent crimes they might commit.
We are at risk of…
