A team of researchers from the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands investigated prescription levels of kids in the three countries and antidepressant and stimulant use was three or more times greater in the U.S.
Researchers attributed the higher drugging rate to a larger number of child psychiatrists per capita in this country. Also, in this country there’s a higher use of two or more different psychotropic drugs for the same child in a single year. Drug advertising directly to the consumer is common in the US, but not overseas and is also thought to contribute to the higher drugging rate. Bear in mind the long term effects of raising a child on prescription drugs are not known.
