Letters: Nov. 24, 2003

Medicating Young Minds

"People need to stop depending on medications to fix all their problems. It is scary to consider the effects that drugs are having on kids." KELLY ROSS Alma, Mich.

I'm glad that TIME has written about the disorders that affect so many children and teenagers [Nov. 3]. Lots of people refuse to acknowledge childhood mental illness, but it does exist. I am 17, and no fewer than 14 different medications have been prescribed for me in an attempt to control my depression and other mental problems. I have often been worried about the long-term effects of many drugs I have taken (several of which are being examined regarding their safety for children). I know that without medication I am a wreck, but I often feel as though I am somehow altering the person I might have become. NAME WITHHELD Columbia, S.C.

Thank you for your article on the issues surrounding psychotropic medication, mental health and children. My personal experience as a counselor dealing with managed-care providers is that they want a quick fix at the least cost to them. Too many clients go without the services and medications they need because of the often strict and unreasonable guidelines that managed care applies to mental-health services. Consumers have no idea what they're up against. AMY KEIFER, L.P.C. Oklahoma City, Okla.

Medication without proper treatment is another form of institutionalizing our children. In a society that demands fast results, we prescribe a pill for every psychological disorder. This only masks the symptoms, however, without dealing with the root causes of a disorder, and it fails to teach children how to cope effectively. Freely prescribing drugs is detrimental not only to children's futures but also to our society. GRACE KONG New York City

As a pediatrician, I often find myself becoming uneasy as I write a prescription for an antidepressant, mood stabilizer or stimulant. When medication is unsuccessful, I am reminded that a drug will not help an abused or neglected child feel safer or manage a parent with a poorly controlled bipolar disorder. A child's behavior, in large part, is influenced by his environment: witnessing or experiencing abuse will cause anxiety and depression; an empty stomach will contribute to distraction, loss of interest and a sullen state of mind. Before prescribing a drug for mood and behavior, health-care providers must consider genetic, social, educational and environmental influences on a child. PAUL CATALANA, M.D. Greer, S.C.

What effect does the lack of parental guidance have on children with these behavioral problems? Adults think of their own happiness at the expense of their children's and then want an easy medication to fix children's problems. Let's give kids what they need and want--our time! MIKE ENNEKING Columbus, Ind.