Australia Pulls ADHD Guidelines Over Harvard's Biederman

Proving that there is some sanity on Earth, the Australian federal government has pulled ADHD guidelines, which were in draft form, because some of the underlying studies were authored by controversial Harvard child psychiatrist Joseph Biederman. Biederman has come into disrepute in the US because there is evidence that he promised one drug maker positive study outcomes before conducting the actual studies and because of approximately $1.6 million he got in payment from pharma companies, much of which he did not disclose, while taking federal research money. (His breathtaking arrogance has not helped his credibility much either.) What's more, Biederman and another Harvard psychiatrist are named in a federal subpoena.

Nice to see someone in authority in Australia taking the pharma-academy connection seriously and questioning how it influences research before charging ahead with Ritalin-for-kids guidelines.

"Australian authorities have been forced to admit the embarrassing discovery that has now put the guidelines--which recommend medication such as Ritalin as the best form of treatment for ADHD and are designed to help parents and doctors--in jeopardy.

"Child welfare and ADHD experts want the guidelines rewritten entirely.

"'This is an excellent opportunity for the Government to go back to the drawing board,' University of South Australia education faculty lecturer Dr Brenton Prosser said.

"'I advise parents to use medication as a last resort. Pills don't acquire skills. Medicines don't address social skills.'

"The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is in charge of devising the guidelines, following a Government review in 2007."

Of course, why this sort of reconsideration isn't going on in the US (it is to a degree in the UK with regards to ADHD) is beyond me. I'm not certain how Biederman and others hijacked child psychiatry, but they did. And despite tons of reporting by myself, the New York Times, the Boston Globe (and others) and a Senate investigation, not much has changed over here. That's a situation that needs to be rectified.