Hopefully, this explains why many of my patients' medications have been so hard to find. Lots of government regulations have decreased the ability for generic manufacturers to produce what I prescribe. Unfortunately, I don't know how this improves unless the regulators are replaced by those with a different opinion.

The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry just came out with a large study showing a correlation between ADHD medications and reduction in height in teenagers, however, the issue is very complicated. The study appears to have a lot of potential flaws. Since I work with so many children and teenagers with ADHD, I want you to know I stay on top of the latest research. This moonth's front page article definitely makes headlines, but if you read the fine print, there's more than meets the eye. Here are just some of the issues I've found. 1) pg 7. “Our sample included only male patients and their relatives, and might not generalize to female patients.” 2) pg 7. “A full mechanistic understanding of why...individuals with ADHD are shorter than expected is currently lacking.” The authors don't know WHY ADHD and height is correlated. 3) pg 7. Unclear hypothesis. “There are indications that children with ADHD have an increased risk of growth hormone stimulations...(but) the etiology (is not) fully known.” 4) pg 8. Only yes/no answers were permitted, so they only asked if the child took ADHD medication or not. They did not record length of time on ADHD medication, dosages, or which types. 5) pg 8. Other contributing factors. “The associations between ADHD and shorter height were partly explained by socioeconomic status (financial stability, net worth, etc), prenatal care, and other psychiatric factors.” 6) pg 6. Improper end point. The authors didn't know when to stop measuring height. They did not take into account puberty and growth spurts. The cut-off age was arbitrary, in other words, the children may still have been growing. 7) pg 6. Generalization. The study was only done in Sweden and only with males. One has to be careful generalizing those results to females and to the rest of the world could be problematic. It's just one country, and one gender. 8) Pages 6-8. Many other studies have proven no correlation. Lastly, to reiterate, no proven causation was found, just a correlation. And the max correlation was about 1 cm. That's 0.39 inches. When all is said and done in this study, it’s not even that much.

Researchers from Amsterdam conducted a study to see whether running therapy could be as helpful as antidepressants for treating depression and anxiety symptoms. The researchers found that both groups experienced similar improvements in their depression symptoms. However, the running group also saw improvements in physical health, while the antidepressant participants experienced slightly worse physical health.

Are Screens Negatively Impacting Kids' Brains and Fueling the ADHD Epidemic? Experts Weigh In The overreliance on screens for mental health diagnoses in children is a growing concern among experts. With the increasing prevalence of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents, many healthcare providers use digital tools and apps to screen for these conditions. However, the accuracy and reliability of these screens have been called into question, with concerns being raised about the potential negative impact on children's brains. Overreliance on screens for mental health diagnoses can lead to misdiagnosis, overdiagnosis, and inappropriate treatment, negatively impacting children's psychological and physical health in the long term. The effects of screen time on brain development in children are well documented. Studies have shown that excessive screen time can lead to changes in brain structure and function, particularly in areas related to attention, language, and social cognition. Prolonged screen exposure can also lead to decreased gray matter volume, associated with lower IQ scores and poorer academic performance. These changes in brain development can have significant implications for children's mental and physical health, including an increased risk of developing ADHD, depression, and anxiety. There is a strong correlation between screen time and mental health issues in children and adolescents. Studies have shown that excessive screen time increases the risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children aged 2 to 5 years have one hour of screen time per day, while older children and adolescents should have no more than two hours per day. However, many children are exceeding these limits, with some spending up to seven hours per day on screens. This excessive screen time can contribute to the growing epidemic of ADHD, depression, and anxiety in children and adolescents. Limiting children's screen time and encouraging other activities, such as outdoor play, reading, and social interaction, is essential to promote healthy brain development and mental health.

Impact of Smartphone Addiction on Mental Health. In 2019, a study published in JAMA Psychiatry surveyed 6,595 American teenagers. The study found that compared to those not using social media, those using it for 30 minutes to 3 hours per day increased the risk of internalizing symptoms (including anxiety and depression) by 1.89 times. The risk increased to 2.47 times for 3 to 6 hours of daily usage and 2.83 times for more than 6 hours. The more time spent on social media, the stronger the feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, in July 2017, revealed that individuals who frequently check social media within a week were 2.7 times more likely to develop depression than those who checked it the least. Those spending the most time on social media had a 1.7 times higher risk of developing depression than peers spending less time. Researchers surveyed 750 young Canadians aged 16 to 30 and found that those who frequently accessed social media on their smartphones were willing to make various sacrifices to stay on social media. About 40 percent were willing to give up caffeine, alcohol, and video games; 30 percent preferred not exercising, watching TV, or dining at their favorite restaurant for a year; nearly 10 percent would accept infertility or give up a year of life; 5 percent and 3 percent were willing to lose 5 or 10 years of life, respectively; fewer than 5 percent were willing to contract sexually transmitted diseases or life-threatening conditions like cancer; and 10 percent to 15 percent were ready to gain 15 pounds, shave their heads, give up driving, stop traveling, or live without air conditioning rather than quitting social media.