The Different Approaches To ADHD Treatment For Children In Europe And The USA

The Europeans have taken a much different approach to the ADHD treatment for children than the Americans. There are considerable differences in how ADHD is diagnosed and treated. So much so that in Italy, for example, where I live, it rarely comes up in conversation.

The first reason for this is that the American mindset seems to focus on the ADHD treatment for children as having a biological cause. They then opt for doubtful psychostimulants which are very controversial both in terms of results and indeed in long term health risks. The Europeans tend to take a different line altogether in that they focus on what are the underlying causes from a social and family environment viewpoint. They recognize that there are problems with impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention but they try to resolve these issues with family therapy, behavior therapy or simply training parents to deal with certain behavior problems as and when they arise.

It is fascinating to read that the French decided not to adopt the criteria used in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) which is the bible for all American paediatricians and doctors. The French opted for trying to find the psychosocial causes rather than the American approach which lists a whole lot of symptoms. The upshot of all this is that the definition of ADHD in France is much tighter and the result is that there are fewer cases of ADHD per head of population, when compared to the USA where ADHD is definitely over diagnosed.

Another difference in the European approach is that the fact that dietary and nutritional actors can and do change children's behavior. There is evidence of this approach actually being acted upon and passing into law. In the UK all candy manufacturers have been invited to withdraw the colourings from their children's snacks and replace them with something less toxic and damaging. There is similar legislation about to be passed within the EU itself. This represents an approach that the actual diet can be a helpful tool in ADHD treatment for children.

Lots of studies in the US and in Europe show that the pharmacological approach is actually flawed because it does not take the causes nor the other options into account. In fact an umbrella approach which takes the diet, family environment, parenting techniques and behavior problems into consideration is much more likely to be successful. It seems that medication, while useful in some cases is limited and will only give partially successful results.

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