This article presents current statistics on nonmedical use of both categories of prescription medications by high school and college students. The incidence of nonmedical use of prescription medications continues to increase among high school and college students. Two categories of drugs that are commonly used for reasons other than those for…

This article is a response to Dr. Steven E. Nissen's comments (Nissen, 2006) about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its treatment with stimulant medications. In this article, the authors refute his arguments and provide accurate information. Here, they answer the questions, such as: (1) Do stimulants increase the risk for sudden…

Presents basic information on psychopharmacology and discusses the major antipsychotic, antidepressant, anti-anxiety, and lithium salt medications used with adults. The importance and implications of psychopharmacology for the counseling profession are highlighted. (Author)

Amphetamines have a significant role in nontherapeutic drug use by college students. A brief history of amphetamine use by college students is presented. Considerable data implicate amphetamines in producing serious psychological and biological adverse effects. (Author/DF)

This article provides a review of various psychotropic agents employed for children and adolescents with externalizing disorders. With the exception of the stimulants, clinical use of psychotropic medications for children with externalizing disorders far exceeds the available empirical literature. Further, there are insufficient data pertaining to…

This paper presents a case of an 11-year-old boy who was admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatric setting because of a recent exacerbation of physical aggression, accompanied by long-standing problems with verbal aggression, irritability, dysphoria, and sleep disturbance. His family history was notable for domestic violence, substance abuse by…

In addition to cognitive disability, fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with behavioral problems that are often functionally limiting. There are few controlled trials to guide treatment; however, available information does suggest that medications can be quite helpful for a number of categories of behavioral disturbance in FXS. Specifically,…