Gebruik door nederlandse kinderen en ervaringen van ouders: Methylfenidaat rukt onstuitbaar op

Although there is a global concern about the increased use of psychostimulants in children, most research literature originates in the United States. This article presents the results of two studies concerning the use of and experiences with psychostimulants in the Netherlands. The prevalence of psychostimulant use in the Netherlands is much lower than reported previously from the United States. However, also in the Netherlands there has been a large increase in the use of psychostimulants in children during the nineties. Incidence rates, proportion of girls and duration of psychostimulant treatment increased. According to parents, side-effects and inadequate effect were the most important reasons to stop treatment with methylphenidate.