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Will the 'real boy' please behave: Dosing dilemmas for parents of boys with ADHD

Singh, Ilina (2005) Will the 'real boy' please behave: Dosing dilemmas for parents of boys with ADHD. American Journal of Bioethics, 5 (3). pp. 34-37. ISSN 1526-5161

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Identification Number: 10.1080/15265160590945129

Abstract

The use of Ritalin and other stimulant drug treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) raises distinctive moral dilemmas for parents; these moral dilemmas have not been adequately addressed in the bioethics literature. This paper draws upon data from a qualitative empirical study to investigate parents' use of the moral ideal of authenticity as part of their narrative justifications for dosing decisions and actions. I show that therapeutic decisions and actions are embedded in valued cultural ideals about masculinity, self-actualization and success, as well as in moral conceptions of authenticity and personal freedom. I argue that this investigation of parents' moral justifications and dosing dilemmas raises questions about the validity of authenticity as a transcendent moral principle. Moreover, this study demonstrates that in order to be relevant, bioethical analysis of neurocognitive enhancement must engage with ground-up studies of moral principles and decision-making in context.

Item Type: Article
Official URL: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/15265161.as...
Additional Information: © 2005 Taylor and Francis Group
Divisions: LSE Health
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Date Deposited: 19 Sep 2008 16:22
Last Modified: 02 Apr 2024 23:11
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/15152

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