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The Myth of the Ritalin-Popping American Teen

The danger of exaggerating the use of psychotropic medications by children and teens is that it denies both the seriousness and the reality of the conditions that drive parents, reluctantly, to seek help for their kids in the first place.

Here’s a bit of news that may come as a surprise: the National Institute of Mental Health, analyzing survey data from more than 10,000 13- to 18-year-olds, has found that — contrary to popular belief — American teens are not being overmedicated for mental health disorders.

The above excerpt was originally published in TIME. Click here to view the full article.

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Authors

Judith Warner

Senior Fellow

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