All of the documents filed in the TeenScreen lawsuit can be found here:
<http://www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen_lawsuit.html>
www.psychsearch.net/teenscreen_lawsuit.html
The last entry is from Teresa Rhoades' attorney (plaintiff) asking for a
trial by jury "to be held as soon as is expeditiously available on the
Court's calendar"
The Rutherford Institute filed the lawsuit in federal court in Indiana
on behalf of the Rhoades' family whose 15-year-old daughter, Chelsea
Rhoades, was subjected to a mental health screening examination at her
school without her parents' knowledge or consent and then was diagnosed
with two mental "disorders". Institute attorneys charge that school
officials violated Michael and Teresa Rhoades' constitutional right, as
parents, to control the care, custody and upbringing of their daughter
when Chelsea was subjected to TeenScreen withouth their knowledge or
consent.
Rutherford Institute
No Child Left Undrugged
By John W. Whitehead
6/9/2008
According to autopsy reports, 4-year-old Rebecca Riley died from an
overdose of psychiatric drugs. At age 2, Rebecca was diagnosed with
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At 3, she was diagnosed
with bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. By the time she
died on Dec. 13, 2006, little Rebecca was taking Clonidine, as well as
the anti-convulsant Depakote and the anti-psychotic Seroquel.
John Whitehead
What were some of the symptoms that prompted such treatment plans? As
her mother described it, Rebecca was "constantly getting into things,
running around, not being able to settle down."
Rebecca's diagnosis was not a medical aberration. Her 10-year-old
brother and 4-year-old sister were already being treated for manic
depression. Indeed, nearly one million children are reportedly diagnosed
as bipolar, making it more common than autism and diabetes combined.
From 1994 to 2003, the number of children treated for bipolar disorder
increased 40 percent, a jump that many experts attribute to more doctors
An increasing number of medical officials are voicing the concern that
children are being misdiagnosed. Dr. John McClellan, who runs a
children's psychiatric hospital in the state of Washington, suggested
that the bipolar diagnosis has become a catch-all for aggressive and
troubled children.
Likewise, child psychiatrist John Holttum believes that the definition
of bipolar disorder is expanding. Whereas children who were seen as
troubled or irritable 10 or 15 years ago might have been treated with
counseling, parental training for their caregivers or other social
interventions, children with similar symptoms today are being diagnosed
as bipolar and treated with medication. Unfortunately, for many
families, therapy is not even an option. According to Dr. Michael Brody,
a child psychiatrist at the University of Maryland, since insurance
companies often do not support therapy, most parents opt for medication.
Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical companies are reaping the rewards,
aided by the medical community and the media. Bipolar disorder
medication is typically three to five times more expensive than
medications prescribed for other disorders, such as depression or
anxiety. As the News Tribune of Tacoma, Wash., points out, "Furthering
the trend is extensive marketing of atypical anti-psychotics by the
companies that make them, and media coverage of bipolar disorder as a
childhood disease."
Yet many of the anti-psychotic drugs being prescribed for children have
not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on them.
Of the two that have been approved for children, Risperdahl and Abilify,
they've only been approved for short-term use. Nevertheless, as the News
Tribune points out, because these drugs have been approved for adults,
"doctors are free to prescribe drugs to anyone and in any way they see
fit once they have been approved for some purpose."
What this means is that in addition to being misdiagnosed, there is an
increased likelihood that children are also being overdrugged. Concern
about this scenario has prompted Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, chief medical
officer for the Washington state Medicaid program, to provide more
stringent guidelines to ensure that anti-psychotic drugs are prescribed
to Medicaid children only when truly needed and at proper dosages.
While Thompson's actions signal a move in the right direction, at least
for minor-aged Medicaid recipients in his state, it will do little to
help children in private care and in other states.
When confronted with the numbers of children being diagnosed with
bipolar disorder-about 800,000 in 2003, and likely much higher now-it is
hard to know how to respond. Could that many young people truly be
suffering from this disorder? It is tempting to lay the blame on an
over-zealous medical community or a greedy pharmaceutical industry.
There is no doubt that they have benefited financially from the sharp
rise in bipolar cases among young people.
Is it more a case of kids just being kids-noisy, rambunctious,
hyperactive, disorderly? Or is there something else going on here?
Curiously, one study released in 2007 indicated that among children
diagnosed with bipolar disorder, two-thirds of them were boys.
While there are undeniably cases where children are actually suffering
and are helped by diagnosis and medication, I have to wonder about the
majority. Little is said in the studies I have read about the impact
that family life and the environment may have on the behavior of
children diagnosed as bipolar, or even ADHD, yet they can't be ruled
out.
Society as a whole has become irresponsible in its duty to young people.
Obsessed with materialism, we have handed over our young people to
marketing mavens and corporations eager to make a quick buck. Distracted
by entertainment, we have relinquished our children to television
babysitters, allowing them to become turned on by and tuned into
mindless television programs, video games and advertising that promote
violence and premarital sex, among other unhealthy behaviors. Children
need human touch and love. All too often, parents give them over to
others for care. They also leave them floating in the non-real world of
virtual reality.
Thus, it is little wonder that so many children are out of control,
disorderly and unable to settle down. But they shouldn't be victimized
and punished for our neglect. Nor should they be drugged into
compliance. Our children are screaming for help, but we're not listening
to what they're saying. Instead, many parents are just hoping to shut
them up-whether with drugs or entertainment-and get a little peace and
quiet. But that's not the answer.
A solution will not be found by passing another law. Rather, it must
start at home and in the community. When the family breaks down,
everything breaks down. We need to start by re-building families.
Parents need to be parents and stop over-scheduling their children. They
need to start spending time with them.
Finally, parents need to say no to drugs for their children. They need
to control what their children watch and listen to. And they need to
take off the headphones, turn off the cell phones and try communicating
with their children.
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and
president of The Rutherford Institute. His new book The Change Manifesto
(Sourcebooks) will be out in August 2008.
_____
27,270 Signatures Against TeenScreen. Petition:
<http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html>
http://www.petitiononline.com/TScreen/petition.html Video:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfU9puZQKBY>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfU9puZQKBY
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