A.D.H.D. Nation

August 1, 2016
New York Times reporter Schwarz (Once upon a Game) shifts from sports injury, about which he wrote a Pulitzer-nominated series, to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in this sweeping critique. He finds that the use of stimulants for an initially small number of unmanageable children with “minimal brain dysfunction” was “commandeered by Big Pharma,” leading to 11% of American children, and a growing number of adults, being diagnosed with ADHD. Schwartz primarily blames the marketing of medications direct to consumers, despite the associated side effects and risks of addiction. The calm, incisive side of Schwarz’s investigative style dominates as he traces the development of drugs, treatment protocols, and public messages over the last 40 years, but sensationalism overwhelms the reader in the cautionary tales of Jamison Monroe, who faked ADHD to maintain his Adderall addiction before being “scared straight” into founding treatment center Newport Academy, and pseudonymous Kristin Parber, who went from reluctant Ritalin user to alcoholic and addict. Nevertheless, Schwarz’s grounding in the viewpoint of Dr. Keith Connors, a pioneering ADHD researcher turned medication skeptic, makes it impossible to confuse Schwarz’s interest—exposing the role of drug companies in shaping a society-wide issue—with a disbelief in the concept of ADHD overall. Agent: David Black, David Black Agency.

A troubling look at the systemic overdiagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a chilling analysis of the effect ADHD medications have on patients, especially children.New York Times investigative reporter Schwarz (Once Upon a Game: Baseball's Greatest Memories, 2007, etc.) begins this hard-hitting book by making sure readers understand that, despite the prevalence of false diagnoses, ADHD is a legitimate condition that affects some children and adults; in these cases, appropriately prescribed medication may work wonders. However--a very significant however--in the 50 years since ADHD was clinically defined, it "has become, by far, the most misdiagnosed condition in American medicine." Stunningly, in some states, 30 percent of school-age boys are diagnosed, the majority of whom are put on powerful stimulants such as Ritalin or Adderall. While the intentions of the prescribing doctors may have some merit, the fact remains that physicians and pharmaceutical companies alike assure parents that ADHD drugs are "safer than aspirin." The author pulls no punches in his in-depth portrayal of this falsehood and the prevalence of the drugs in schools and colleges across the nation. Adolescents routinely and casually abuse stimulants to such an extent that school officials often shrug their shoulders at the problem rather than instituting rules to protect students. Worse, Schwarz describes how doctors misconstrue the dangerous side effects of stimulants as evidence of other maladies and prescribe additional drugs such as anti-anxiety medication. Tragically, many kids become quickly addicted and fall into a downward spiral they are helpless to prevent. The author, while vehement in his arguments, is no alarmist; his facts are meticulously sourced, and he relies on numerous first-person narratives from patients, parents, doctors, and pharma reps to make his argument. In no uncertain terms, he states that without immediate action to reassess the status quo, countless patients may face dire consequences. In this powerful, necessary book, Schwarz exposes the dirty secrets of the growing ADHD epidemic. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2016
Polk Award winner Schwarz, best known for his influential "New York Times" series on concussions among football players, here tackles another serious health issue: the more than one in seven American children getting diagnosed--and, often, misdiagnosed--with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and treated with drugs like Ritalin. Says Keith Conners, a pioneer in ADHD treatment, it's "a national disaster of dangerous proportions."

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Schwarz, a Pulitzer Prizenominated investigative reporter for the New York Times who wrote more than 100 articles about concussions in the NFL, leaves no stone unturned as he documents the overdiagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In fact, he interviews more than 1,000 doctors, parents, students, and researchers. Kids get pseudonyms to protect family relationships and sometimes for legal reasons. Schwarz tries to have fun when appropriate: one chapter title is Fidgety Phil's Arithmetic Pills, another is ADD for All. But good guys are few and far between. Students get diagnosed and are given Adderall to help them perform better, and then they become hooked. Pharmaceutical companies advertise heavily. ADHD medications were hawked like any other consumer product when the companies knew they were anything but, writes Schwarz. And teachers wildly overestimate how many students have ADHD. One questionnaire found that they support an ADHD diagnosis in more than one in five boys. This eye-opening book should be a hit with drug-industry skeptics and worried parents who want to read a well-reported, definitive guide to this misunderstood and overly medicated disorder.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)