
The ADHD Explosion
Myths, Medication, and Money, and Today's Push for Performance
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 27. March 2014
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-0-19-979055-5 (ISBN)
Description
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most controversial and misunderstood medical conditions today. With skyrocketing rates of diagnosis and medication treatment, it has generated a firestorm of controversy. Alarming questions have been raised about ADHD in recent years:
*Why are over 10% of children and adolescents in the U.S. now diagnosed with ADHD, with projected rates quickly rising?
*Why do over two-thirds of those diagnosed with ADHD receive medication?
*In some southern states, why are boys diagnosed at rates of almost one in three?
*What is causing the fast-rising diagnosis and medication of adults? Why are over a quarter of all college students using stimulants for academic performance?
*What drives the current ADHD "tsunami"-- is it parents, clinicians, schools, culture, the healthcare system, or Big Pharma? When will it end?
*Can we trust the stories we read and hear about ADHD, even in major media outlets?
The ADHD Explosion and Today's Push for Performance uniquely blends clinical wisdom, current science, new information on medical and school policy, and global trends to debunk myths and set the record straight. Hinshaw and Scheffler describe the origins of ADHD and its huge costs to society; the science regarding causes as well as medication and behavioral treatment; and the major variation in diagnosis and treatment across the U.S., highlighting the key roles of educational policy and high-stakes testing. Dealing directly with stimulants as "smart pills," they describe the epidemic of medicalization, arguing that accurate diagnosis and well-monitored care could ease the staggering economic burden linked to ADHD.
In novel ways, they unravel the many poignant issues facing children, teachers, clinicians, and family members who contend with ADHD each day. The recommendations in this book can improve the quality of life for those touched by ADHD and potentially improve the productivity and safety of all society.
*Why are over 10% of children and adolescents in the U.S. now diagnosed with ADHD, with projected rates quickly rising?
*Why do over two-thirds of those diagnosed with ADHD receive medication?
*In some southern states, why are boys diagnosed at rates of almost one in three?
*What is causing the fast-rising diagnosis and medication of adults? Why are over a quarter of all college students using stimulants for academic performance?
*What drives the current ADHD "tsunami"-- is it parents, clinicians, schools, culture, the healthcare system, or Big Pharma? When will it end?
*Can we trust the stories we read and hear about ADHD, even in major media outlets?
The ADHD Explosion and Today's Push for Performance uniquely blends clinical wisdom, current science, new information on medical and school policy, and global trends to debunk myths and set the record straight. Hinshaw and Scheffler describe the origins of ADHD and its huge costs to society; the science regarding causes as well as medication and behavioral treatment; and the major variation in diagnosis and treatment across the U.S., highlighting the key roles of educational policy and high-stakes testing. Dealing directly with stimulants as "smart pills," they describe the epidemic of medicalization, arguing that accurate diagnosis and well-monitored care could ease the staggering economic burden linked to ADHD.
In novel ways, they unravel the many poignant issues facing children, teachers, clinicians, and family members who contend with ADHD each day. The recommendations in this book can improve the quality of life for those touched by ADHD and potentially improve the productivity and safety of all society.
Reviews / Votes
The ADHD Explosion fills a much needed gap. It offers a systemic examination of a major health care issue that is too often reduced to overly simplistic conclusions. Hinshaw and Scheffler provide an intelligent presentation of where we are and what we need to consider as we move forward. * PsycCritiques * In this highly informative book, The ADHD Explosion:Myths, Medication, Money, and Today's Push for Performance, psychologist Stephen Hinshaw, PhD, and health economist Richard Scheffler, PhD, both of University of California, Berkeley, address the societal impact, health care costs, and long-term outcomes for those affected by ADHD....This unique book is useful for parents, educators, mental health professionals, students, and adults. * Tara Ann Cartwright, PhD, AMWA Journal Book Review *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
602 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-979055-5 (9780199790555)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Stephen P. Hinshaw | Richard M. Scheffler
The ADHD Explosion
Myths, Medication, Money, and Today's Push for Performance
E-Book
02/2014
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.49
Available for download

Stephen P. Hinshaw | Richard M. Scheffler
The ADHD Explosion
Myths, Medication, Money, and Today's Push for Performance
E-Book
02/2014
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€11.49
Available for download
Persons
Stephen P. Hinshaw, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and Vice-Chair for Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
Richard M. Scheffler, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Health Economics and Public Policy in the School of Public Health and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
Richard M. Scheffler, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Health Economics and Public Policy in the School of Public Health and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.
Author
Professor of PsychologyProfessor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
Distinguished Professor of Health Economics and Public PolicyDistinguished Professor of Health Economics and Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley
Content
Contents ; Foreword by David Mechanic ; Acknowledgments ; Introduction ; Chapter 1: The TNT Fueling the Explosion: Origins and Costs of ADHD ; Chapter 2: The Nature and Causes of ADHD: Where Biology Meets Culture ; Chapter 3: Diagnosing and Treating ADHD: Do It Right or Pay the Price ; Chapter 4: Upward Spiral of ADHD Medications: Enhanced Performance or Potential for Abuse? ; Chapter 5: What a Difference a State Makes: How Educational Policy Determines Diagnosis and Treatment ; Chapter 6: The Cost of ADHD: It's the Economy, Stupid ; Chapter 7: ADHD and the Media: What's Being Said and What's Being Sold? ; Chapter 8: ADHD Around the World ; Chapter 9: Beyond White, Middle-Class Boys-Plus the Stigma of ADHD ; Chapter 10: The Future of ADHD: Predictions, Confusions, and Conclusions ; Notes ; References ; Index