Topic
Risks, Benefits, and Diagnosis
Instructions
The risk-benefit calculation for any drug assumes a correct diagnosis of the disorder. Many investigators and clinicians feel the current epidemic of child psychiatric disorders is largely due to inappropriate diagnosis. Evaluate the risk and benefits of using psychoactive drugs in children correctly diagnosed with a disorder versus those incorrectly diagnosed with a disorder. Consider the risks and benefits of not treating (drug treatment) a child because he or she is not correctly diagnosed with a disorder. In your evaluation summarize the natural course of the disorder, the drug action on the neurotransmitter systems in question, and the likelihood of short-term, long-term, and permanent positive and negative effects of drug treatment. Make sure to take into account the ethical dimension of this risk-benefit calculation.
Answer preview
The concerns expressed by investigators and clinicians regarding inappropriate diagnosis of psychiatric disorders among children may not be misplaced. Merten, Cwik, Margraf and Schneider (2017) reported that there is evidence that misdiagnosis occur, and this would imply that use of the psychoactive drugs for treatment of the misdiagnosed conditions would result in unwanted effects and risks on the patient. When a child is diagnosed correctly, the administration of the appropriate psychoactive drugs may have the desired effects of improving the symptoms.
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