Treatments for Kids with ADHD Work, but Need Monitoring

A new study from the National Institute of Health suggests that treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder can help youngsters, but doctors need to monitor them from time to time.

Researchers assigned 600 children ages 6 to 9 years randomly to one of four treatment groups. The first group received medications from ADHD specialists. The second received medications and behavioral therapy. The third group received drugs from their family doctors, and finally the last group received only therapy. After fourteen months, the first two groups improved the most. However, three years later, all four groups showed similar improvements and the advantages of medications waned.

"Many kids do better over time," said Peter Jensen, director of Columbia University's Center for the Advancement of Children's Mental Health. "They should start drugs and stop as needed."

This study appears in the August issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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