Latest figures from the Scottish Medical Consortium show an 11 per cent increase in prescriptions for ADHDsymptoms in the past two years.
More than 45,000 children aged six to 14 in Scotland are diagnosed with ADHD. Of these, 9,350 are eligible for drug therapy. Most are prescribed methylphenidate, com- mercially known as Ritalin.
But Dr Gwynedd Lloyd from the University of Edinburgh said that doctors are too quick to diagnose ADHD and prescribe drugs. 'When you look at books on how to deal with children with ADHD, the content is the same as books on children with behavioural difficulties. There are many reasons why a child might have difficulties, such as family problems, diet and lack of exercise.'
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