CCHR Supports Launch of National Review of Pediatric ADHD Diagnostic Practices

A federal investigation has been launched to review the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in American children, following a marked rise in reported cases. The inquiry, which will focus on pediatric diagnoses, will assess whether current practices are based on robust scientific evidence or influenced by economic or other vested interests. Jan Eastgate, President of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), a mental health watchdog established in 1969, stated: “The current surge in ADHD diagnoses warrants a comprehensive review to ensure that diagnostic practices are grounded in proven science, and not unduly influenced by profit considerations.”

Recent data indicate that approximately 3.4 million American children have received an ADHD diagnosis, of which at least 70% may have been prescribed stimulants, with more than 58,000 children aged five or younger among them. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved ADHD medication for those younger than six. Critics have pointed to revisions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a potential factor. Dr. Allen Frances, former chair of the DSM-IV task force, noted that changes in diagnostic criteria have contributed to a substantial increase in the number of children being labeled with ADHD and subsequently prescribed stimulants. He went as far as to say there is “false epidemic” of both ADHD and autism

ADHD symptoms are seen by experts as too subjective and include: easily distracted, misses details, forgets things, becomes bored with a task after only a few minutes, have trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments),fidgets and squirms in their seats, on the go, and has difficulty waiting for their turns in games.

A report by Counseling Australia has traced the increased number of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD to a combination of the DSM, conflicts of interests within its task force members, and aggressive marketing practices. In 2013, reflecting on a forty-fold increase in ADHD diagnoses over the previous 20 years, child psychologist Keith Conners, considered “the Father of ADHD,” called it “a national disaster of dangerous proportions.”

Emphasizing the need to distinguish gifted children may display behaviors that mimic ADHD, Dr. Erik von Hahn of the American Academy of Pediatrics explained, “mislabeling these children can lead to inappropriate interventions that hinder their development rather than support their needs. In such cases, “The child does not have ADHD or another disability, and the appropriate intervention is to provide needed stimulation. Otherwise, the child is at risk for academic and social challenges despite superior potential.”

Prof. Frances warns that 3-5% of children who are particularly gifted are at special risk for being tagged with an inappropriate diagnosis of mental disorder. “One of the disasters of the diagnostic inflation is that expectable and desirable individual difference is so often mislabeled as a mental disorder.”

Dr. Mary Ann Block, author of No More ADHD, cautioned against the subjective nature of current diagnostic methods: “There is no valid test for ADHD. The diagnosis is completely subjective.” She further compared ADHD with conditions that have objective diagnostic markers, stating, that diabetes is an insulin deficiency that can be objectively measured, whereas ADHD lacks measurable biological indicators, and stimulant medications are not produced by the body.

Additionally, Peter C. Gøtzsche, MD, has raised concerns about the long-term implications of widespread ADHD diagnoses, warning that the stimulants prescribed may lead to behavioral and emotional challenges over time. Children can become apathetic, socially withdrawn, or develop compulsive behaviors due to the stigma of being labeled.

CCHR, which was established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and the late distinguished professor of psychiatry Dr. Thomas Szasz from Upstate University of New York Medical University, and other stakeholders are urging increased transparency and rigorous scientific evaluation, including medical tests to substantiate the ADHD diagnosis, a retraction of any advertising it as a neurobiological disease, and informed consent reforms to assist parents to make more informed decisions regarding their child’s needs.

Citizens Commission on Human Rights International
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