According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
approximately 11% of American children between the ages of 4 and 17 have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as of 2011. However, if you ask the American Psychiatric Association (APA), they maintain that even though only
5% of American children suffer from the disorder, the diagnosis is actually given to around 15% of American children. This number has been steadily
rising, jumping from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007.
Big Pharma has played a significant role in manufacturing the ADHD epidemic in the U.S., convincing parents and doctors that ADHD is a common problem amongst children and one that should be medicated. However, many countries disagree with the American stance on ADHD, so much so that they have entirely different structures for defining, diagnosing, and treating it. For example, the percentage of children in France that have been diagnosed and medicated for ADHD is
less than 0.5%.
This is largely because French doctors don't consider ADHD a biological disorder with biological causes, but rather a medical condition caused by psycho-social and situational factors.
Why France Defines ADHD Differently
French child psychiatrists use a different system than American psychiatrists to classify emotional problems in childhood. Instead of using the APA's
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the French use an alternative classification system produced by the French Federation of Psychiatry called
Classification Française des Troubles Mentaux de L'Enfant et de L'Adolescent(CFTMEA). Not only does this significantly differ from the APA's system, but it was actually created with the intention to "
offer French child psychiatrists an alternative to DSM-III" because it didn't complement French psychiatric practices.
The CFTMEA encourages psychiatrists to identify the underlying issues that cause a child's symptoms and to address them using a psychopathological approach.
France defines ADHD as a sociological disorder that's caused by a set of social situations, whereas the U.S. sees ADHD as a neurological disorder whose symptoms are the result of biological disfunction or a chemical imbalance in the brain.
France's definition of ADHD drastically differs from that of the U.S., which is in part because the pharmaceutical industry helped define ADHD in the U.S. (you can read more about that
here). France's treatment methods, therefore, also greatly differ from those practiced in the U.S.
Comment: The advice to avoid all sun exposure is a result of black and white thinking and has always been extreme. A more moderate approach is obviously what's called for, and the fact that the 'experts' are so unwilling to dial back their advice would be comical if it weren't so typical.
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