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The Issue of Social Injustice of Misdiagnosed Children with ADHD

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About this sample

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Words: 962 |

Pages: 2|

5 min read

Published: Apr 5, 2023

Words: 962|Pages: 2|5 min read

Published: Apr 5, 2023

Human beings are all born with dignity, freedom, and rights. However when experienced mental challenges or illness they are usually discriminated against in various levels of their daily lives. For most this form of social injustice can be derogatory, damaging, and demeaning. This form of social discrimination can also be the cause of a bigger social injustice problem which has an impact on people with mental illness.

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It is assumed that healthcare professionals trained to understand the human mind would be immune from bias. But studies finds that the social identities of patients and therapists affect the accuracy of a diagnosis. Mental health professionals were twice as likely to misdiagnose mental illness when patients were from a disadvantaged environment compared to an advantaged group. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder for children with at least four and a half million diagnoses under the age of eighteen. This is an increase of more than forty-two percent from 2003 to 2011, an increase in nearly all demographic groups. More than one in ten school-age children, one in five high school boys and one in eleven high school girls have met the criteria for the diagnosis of ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder misdiagnosis can happen because many of the symptoms overlap with other conditions. ADHD symptoms can be different in each person so the diagnosis must be done by a qualified healthcare professional trained in diagnosing ADHD.

Do children get misdiagnosed with physical and mental illnesses? When a patient sees a professional for treatment, it is assumed the professional’s judgment of their condition is correct. However, the problem of misdiagnosis where the diagnosis is incorrect or the provider can not come up with a diagnosis is very common. Misdiagnosis can happen with any condition especially if the health professional does not take the time to examine the child. According to Kvarnstrom, Elisabet “The immediate effect of mental health misdiagnosis is obvious: it keeps people from receiving treatment for their affliction, allowing distress to grow unchecked as hope diminishes. This can lead to increasingly dangerous psychological conditions that threaten both your emotional and behavioral functions. But misdiagnosis and inaccurate treatment can also increase dysfunction by exposing you to pharmacological therapies that augment existing symptomatology or cause the emergence of new symptoms”.

Often times children receive psychotropic medications without proper evaluation and without the prescribing healthcare provider aware of the root cause of the problem. Children can visit a pediatrician’s office and the physician and without fully understanding the concerns is diagnosing and prescribing drugs without being aware of other evidence-based treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Misdiagnosis usually ends up medicated for ADHD when they don’t have it. ADHD disorder can take time for a correct evaluation and diagnose accurately. However Many clinicians provide inadequate evaluation and are too hasty to identify a child as having the disorder because they may appear to have some of the symptoms.

Societal pressure has also led to an increase over diagnosis in schools. The diagnosis of ADHD is often contextual, children with the same developmental traits may be seen as having ADHD or not depending on their social and educational environment. It was noted some cities has had a higher number of diagnose the disorder more than others leading to abnormally high rates in certain cities and states.

Another over diagnoses population are children in foster care. These children have complex traumatic histories most with little or no access to appropriate health care services have compound their significant unmet health needs. When placed into a foster care environment they are usually placed on psychotropic medications to calm their behavioral challenges and manage troublesome symptoms. Psychotropic medication to manage the behavioral and mental health problems of children in foster care has been prescribed three times that of other children. A lack of competence can also lead to a high incidence of misdiagnoses.

What are some lifestyle changes that might help alleviate certain mental health issues for children? A healthy lifestyle and emotional wellness are linked to the key of well mind and body. Before assigning a mental health diagnosis the healthcare provider should offer other treatment options. Very few healthcare providers will introduce in the treatment plan lifestyle changes and incorporate nutrition and exercise. Healthy lifestyle changes have had a significant impact on the quality of life, especially for a patient struggling with mental issues. Studies have also shown removing foods with preservative dyes, high concentration of sugar has reduced some of the symptoms common in ADHD. A healthy life change should also incorporate good food choices. Eating healthy should not be a diet but it should incorporate food choices that will aid in boosting energy, improving health and one’s mood.

Childrens are notoriously sleep deprived and sleep deprivation affects the psychological state and mental health, a good night sleep will help alleviate many common symptoms of ADHD and mental health related problems. Incorporating exercise as a stimulant helps the body to produce serotonin and endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain neurotransmitters, regular exercise can have had a positive impact on patients with depression, anxiety and ADHD. A healthy life change should also incorporate good food choices. Eating healthy should not be a diet but it should incorporate food choices that will aid in boosting energy, improving health and one’s mood.  

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Overall, Social injustice issues occur where inequality arises as a result of unjust prejudices or policies, resulting from unequal government regulation. In health care, laws such as insurance and policy coverage eligibility which has also led to the disparity in healthcare. While inter social treatment involves the treatment of a group of other people based on personally held biases and prejudices often manifest in a sociological context such as their race, sexual orientation, mental ability, age religion.

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The Issue of Social Injustice of Misdiagnosed Children With ADHD. (2023, April 05). GradesFixer. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-issue-of-social-injustice-of-misdiagnosed-children-with-adhd/
“The Issue of Social Injustice of Misdiagnosed Children With ADHD.” GradesFixer, 05 Apr. 2023, gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-issue-of-social-injustice-of-misdiagnosed-children-with-adhd/
The Issue of Social Injustice of Misdiagnosed Children With ADHD. [online]. Available at: <https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-issue-of-social-injustice-of-misdiagnosed-children-with-adhd/> [Accessed 29 Mar. 2024].
The Issue of Social Injustice of Misdiagnosed Children With ADHD [Internet]. GradesFixer. 2023 Apr 05 [cited 2024 Mar 29]. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-issue-of-social-injustice-of-misdiagnosed-children-with-adhd/
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