Beware the Decade of Diagnosis

The significant rise in ADHD diagnoses and Ritalin prescriptions throughout the 1990s highlights a troubling trend in pediatric psychiatry. From 1990 to 1995, Ritalin prescriptions more than doubled, with the DEA estimating a six-fold increase. By 2022, over 10% of children in the US had been diagnosed with ADHD, indicating a growing reliance on medication for behavioral conditions. This surge coincided with President Bush's 1990 proclamation declaring the 1990s as the 'decade of the brain', suggesting a shift towards neurological perspectives on mental health that may have lasting consequences for individuals facing these diagnoses over the subsequent decades.