Sociology is the practice by which we are able to work to understand the functions of different societies, attempting to make sense of the social lives of individuals, groups, and societies, and “covering everything from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes” (American Sociological Association, 2014). Within first world countries and, more specifically, within Westernized countries, such as that of the United States, it has become an ever pressing concern to understand the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) within society, attempting to understand how the history of ADHD diagnosis works to illustrate trends regarding the intensification of medicalization in Western social democracies.
ADHD has become known, in recent years, as “one of the most common childhood disorders” of our time (NIMH, 2014). There are three primary subtypes of diagnoses that may be given to an individual based on the primary characteristic used to describe and identify their symptoms: (1) the individual may be “predominantly hyperactive-impulsive,” (2) “predominantly inattentive “or (3) combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive” (NIMH, 2014). There are several different factors that are believed to act as causalities for the illness: genetics, environmental factors, brain injuries, food additives, and even increased consumption of sugar have all been blamed for the diagnosis of the illness (NIMH, 2014). The fact of the matter is that there is no conclusive evidence regarding the causality of the diagnosis, though there are even those who would argue that the increased prevalence of the diagnosis is as a result of an evolutionary adaptation within the modern world, a necessity given the amount of information that is sent, received, and processed in today’s society (Blair, 2012).
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"Sociology, the West, and the History of ADHD Diagnosis".
Studies show that the United States has the highest rate of diagnosis and medicalization for the treatment of ADHD in the world, with more than 5 million individuals in the United States being diagnosed with the illness as of 2011, up from 3.3 million in 2004 (Statistics by Country for ADHD, 2004; Statistical Prevalence of ADHD, 2011). These numbers continue to increase on a yearly basis, a fact unsurprising considering that over $5.9 billion USD was spent on the treatment of this illness in 2009 alone (Alderman, 2011). There are those who state that ADHD does not exist as a true illness, and there are those who do not treat ADHD as an issue, but in spite of these viewpoints, the question of how ADHD is diagnosed and treated is one that varies widely based on the country in which the individual resides; Americans diagnose the issue, regardless of whether or not the individual has the full complement of symptoms that make up the illness, and then proceed to throw medication at it, resulting in two types of people: those who are addicted to the drugs offered and those who would attempt to obtain a false diagnosis for the purposes of obtaining the drugs offered for the purposes of receiving a pharmacological edge at work or in school (Conrad & Potter, 2000; Loe & Cuttino, 2008; Wedge, 2014).
The fact of the matter is that as the years go by, the problem of the misuse of ADHD medication within the United States is one that is becoming of increasing concern to society; not only does this legal drug become a growing concern, but it becomes a drug that works to affect the very fabric of how an individual works to view the manner in which they apply themselves to a given issue or situation. Why get the proper amount of sleep when this pill will allow you to stay awake and help you focus at the same time? The matter is not just an issue for society, but one that is of special import to sociologists, given the manner in which the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD within Western society is one that is wholly unique.
Doctors in France treat children and college students who are diagnosed with ADHD as a symptom of an underlying issue, foregoing medication for the purposes of working to identify and resolve the underlying causality of the symptoms that are presented in what the United States would simply see as a reason for a prescription (Wedge, 2014). This alternative perspective, one that varies so greatly between the two countries, is one of particular fascination for sociologists. Not only does the history and increasing prevalence of the diagnosis of ADHD provide an alternative means for studying the differences in how the two societies function, but the differences in the manner of treatment serves as an additional method of working to identify and study the manner in which different first world societies chose to operate. Within the United States, where prescription medication is regulated in a manner different from the rest of the world and prescription prices are raised to exorbitant levels, it is clear that the pharmacological industry is running the show; the more individuals who are diagnosed, the more money there is to be made, the greater the profit for those who would assist the pharmacological industry in making their money; the trickle-down effect of capitalism is alive and well. Looking instead to France, sociologists are able to study a culture in which the concern is for the individual first and foremost, and the medicalization of treatment for ADHD is not considered (Wedge, 2014).
The history and diagnosis of ADHD clearly indicates an intensification of medicalization in certain regions and a distinct shunning for this practice in others. The study of Westernized societies and their preferred methods of diagnosing and treating ADHD serves as an additional means of providing insight into various cultures in the Western world, allowing sociologists just one more method of being able to identify variances in society today.
- Alderman, L. (2011). The Rise of ADHD – ADHD Center – Everyday Health. EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.everydayhealth.com/
- American Sociological Association. (2014). What is Sociology?. Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.asanet.org/
- Blair, E. (2012). Is ADHD an evolutionary gift in a rapidly changing world?. Activistpost.com. Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.activistpost.com/
- Conrad, P., & Potter, D. (2000). From hyperactive children to ADHD adults: Observations on the expansion of medical categories. Social Problems, 559–582.
- Help4adhd.org. (2011). Statistical Prevalence of ADHD. Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.help4adhd.org/
- Loe, M., & Cuttino, L. (2008). Grappling with the medicated self: The case of ADHD college students. Symbolic Interaction, 31(3), 303–323.
- NIMH. (2014). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.nimh.nih.gov
- Rightdiagnosis.com. (2004). Statistics by Country for ADHD. Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/
- Wedge, M. (2014). Why French Kids Don’t Have ADHD. Psychologytoday.com. Retrieved 25 June 2014, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/
