HealthDay (9/2, Mundell) reports that even though the “expert consensus on the treatment of preschoolers diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder” is that behavioral therapies should be tried six months prior to prescribing medications, a study published in JAMA Network Open “found this guideline was followed in only 14.1% of U.S. cases involving children ages 3 to 5.”
The researchers “tracked the treatment of more than 9,700 kids ages 3, 4 and 5 who were diagnosed with ADHD at primary care clinics run by eight academic medical centers nationwide. Patients were seen at least twice by doctors during a six-month period. The result: More than 42% of the kids received a prescription for an ADHD medication within a month of their diagnosis, contrary to established guidelines.” They observed that “14.1% got medications after the recommended six months of behavioral therapy.”
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— “ADHD Drugs Often Prescribed Too Early To Preschoolers,” Ernie Mundell, HealthDay, September 2, 2025