Traitements médicaux de l'enfant hyperactif : à propos des deux nouvelles formes de méthylphénidate commercialisées en France

The impending globalization of ADHD: notes on the expansion and growth of a medicalized disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been medicalized in the United States since the 1960s. Primarily used in North America until the 1990s, ADHD diagnosis and treatment have increasingly been applied internationally. After documenting the expansion of ADHD in a global context, this paper presents five brief international examples examining ADHD usage and expansion: the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Brazil. We then identify and describe several vehicles that facilitate the migration of the ADHD diagnosis: the transnational pharmaceutical industry; the influence of western psychiatry; moving from ICD to DSM diagnostic criteria; the role of the Internet including the related advent of easily accessible online screening checklists; and advocacy groups. Finally, we discuss what this globalization of a diagnosis reflects about the potential global medicalization of other conditions.

[What's new about hyperactivity disorder in children?]

This article presents a review of the treatments for children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity available in France. Multimodal treatment of French hyperactive child includes psycho stimulant medication (short and long acting methylphenidate) and parent training, speech therapy, psychomotor therapy and academic training.