Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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The study aimed to assess the occurrence of overlapping prescriptions for methylphenidate among children and adolescents with newly diagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and to evaluate the extent to which physician-level and patient-level characteristics affected the risk of prescription overlap during a one-year treatment period. ⋯ In an effort to improve the quality and safety of prescription of controlled substances in younger populations, interventions or policies should be devised to target both the service providers and the patients.
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Punishment of juvenile murderers forces policy makers to weigh the developmental immaturity of adolescents against the heinousness of their crimes. The U. ⋯ Having eliminated the death penalty as a punishment, the Court recently struck down mandatory life sentences without prospect of parole. The decision is interesting for its emphasis on rehabilitation, opening the door to further restrictions on punitive sentences for juveniles-and perhaps for adults too.