Type and Prevalence of Medication Used in the Treatment of Hyperactive Children

ACCORDING to a widely quoted 1970 newspaper account1 and to subsequent magazine articles,2 3 4 approximately 5 to 10 per cent of children in elementary school receive medication for disorders of behavior. Although such publicized estimates have been grossly inaccurate, only one study has appeared to date providing scientific data on this issue. This was a questionnaire survey of Chicago physicians who were asked to estimate the dose and frequency of psychotropic medication that they prescribed for school-age children. The survey was done at the Children's Research Center of Urbana, Illinois.5 The major conclusions of the Children's Research Center survey were as . . .