Film Analysis: The Medicated Child

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In The Medicated child, FRONTLINE confronts psychiatrists, researchers and government regulators about the risks, benefits and many questions surrounding the topic of prescribing drugs for children. Bipolar disorder was believed to exist only in adults but in the mid-1990s it began to be diagnosed in children more and more. “I think the real question is, are those diagnoses right? And in truth, I don't think we yet know the answer." said Dr. Steven Hyman, a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health. This film portrayed major issues seen through the medicating of Jacob, Jessica, and DJ’s. Three major issues dealt with in this documentary were that there was lack of research for child medications, unknown affectivities, and that these children were growing up to have manic depression. The documentary highlights the lack…show more content…
In my opinion, there were very few alternatives. "Nobody ever said we can work with this through therapy and things like that. Everywhere we looked it was, 'Take meds, take meds, take meds.” said Jacob's father, Ron. The film made it seem as if medicating the child with multiple medications was the way to go. The drug companies had long been reluctant to do studies on drug effects on children. It has become a known fact that many of the drugs that work for adults do not work for children and teenagers. "We're dealing with developing minds and brains, and medications have a whole different impact in the young developing child than they do in an adult. We don't understand that impact very well. That's where we're still in the Dark Ages." says Dr. Marianne Wamboldt, the chief of psychiatry at Denver Children's Hospital. It was to the point where the medication distributed for bi polar disorder in children had unknown affectivities but well know warning which was not

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