WASHINGTON, Jul 25, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for teens with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder -- adding to treatment options but also highlighting the debate over psychiatric medication for minors.

The drug, Adderall, was already approved by the FDA for children 12 and under and for people over 18. But approving it for teens greatly increases its reach, because an estimated 2 million U.S. school-age youngsters suffer from ADHD.

Adderall, marketed by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group, was criticized by name in a recent television interview by actor Tom Cruise, who belongs to the Church of Scientology and rejects psychiatric medicine.

A Harvard mental-health expert welcomed the approval.

"There has long been an unmet need for ADHD research and treatment among the adolescent population despite an increasing awareness of ADHD's potential impact on quality of life," Dr. Timothy Wilens of Massachusetts General Hospital said in a statement.

"Therefore, approval of an ADHD treatment for this underidentified age group is an important milestone."

ADHD is a neurological brain disorder that is considered the most widely diagnosed psychiatric problem in children and teens, affecting up to 7 percent of school-age youth.

The disorder is characterized by short attention span, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior that frequently spell trouble in school and can lead to career problems and alcohol or drug abuse.

Recently, the issue of using drugs to treat such disorders has gained renewed attention because of Cruise's comments and Church of Scientology efforts to limit their use through legislation.

"Do you know what Adderall is? Do you know Ritalin? Do you know now that Ritalin is a street drug? Do you understand that?" Cruise asked Matt Lauer in a combative interview last month on NBC's Today show.

"Here's the problem," Cruise added. "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."

Such statements make it harder for children to get proper treatment, said Lea Ann Browning, spokeswoman for the National Mental Health Association.

"What we're trying to do is make sure kids have access to a full range of safe and effective mental-health treatments," she told United Press International. "For some kids that may mean medication, for other kids it may not. What we have to protect is access to treatment that's going to work best for that child and that family."

She said comments like Cruise's not only "add to the stigma but confuse parents who are trying to do the best thing for their kids. The Scientologists may not be the best sources to trust on something like that."

Studies suggest two-thirds of children and adolescents with mental-health problems are not getting the right care or any care at all, Browning said.

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Last updated: 08/23/2005 - 10:58 AM