Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2009) 15: 162-171. doi: 10.1192/apt.bp.108.005561
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Drug treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in young people

Gordon Bates

Gordon Bates is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist. He runs an adolescent unit at Huntercombe Hospital, Stafford, and works for Solihull NHS Care Trust in an out-patient setting. He holds a senior clinical lecturer post at the University of Birmingham, Department of Psychiatry, with regular teaching commitments to both undergraduates and postgraduates. Dr Bates has long-standing clinical and research interests in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood.

Correspondence: Correspondence Dr Gordon Bates, Huntercombe Hospital, Ivetsy Bank, Whaton Aston, Stafford ST19 9QT, UK. Email: gordon.bates{at}fshc.co.uk

The central role of medication in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents is the focus of controversy once more. Questions about the safety and appropriateness of medication have arisen both within and without the medical community. This coincides with the disappointing results for long-term ADHD treatment, illustrated recently by the first major outcome study to be published. Clinicians have had to contend with a number of public health scares following on from the actions of drug regulatory bodies, in addition to misinformation and misunderstanding from the media. Ironically, this comes at a time when we have an ever-widening range of medications and formulations available to us, and better-quality studies to inform treatment decisions. The recently published National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines address some of these issues and provide a welcome summary and reference point for beleaguered clinicians.