Why is the prescription of stimulant drugs and antidepressants in treating childhood disorders controversial? The rising use of psychiatric drugs in recent years to treat ADHD, depression, and other psychological disorders in children has been nothing short of explosive. Roughly three million children in the United States receive psychi- atric medication for emotional or behavioral problems (Simpson et al., 2008). The great majority of medicated children, about 90%, are prescribed stimulants or other drugs to control ADHD. The use of stimulant drugs for ADHD has increased dramatically in recent years-up about twentyfold since the 1980s (Sroufe, 2012). Today, about 5% of American children and adolescents are treated with stimulant medications (Smith, 2012; Zuvekas & Vitiello, 2012). Among adolescents, use of antidepressants nearly matches that ADHD medication. About 5% of 12- to 19-year olds are receiving antidepressants, with another 6% receiving ADHD drugs, primarily stimulant medication (Sharpe, 2012). Antidepressants are used to treat teens with depression, panic disorder, and eating disorders. Increasing numbers of young people are also receiving other psychiatric drugs, including mood stabilizers (anticonvulsants), anti- anxiety drugs, sleep medications, and even powerful antipsychotic drugs (Olfson et al., 2012).