Massmedias hantering av vetenskaplig kritik mot Ritalin, Concerta och Strattera

Ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv på psykofarmaka

Abstract

Mass media’s handling of scientific critique of Ritalin, Concerta and Strattera: a social constructionist perspective on psychotropic agents

This article aims to examine how scientific critique of pharmacological treatment with Ritalin, Concerta and Strattera for ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is handled in eight of the largest newspapers in Sweden, 2002–2015 (n=183 articles). The media study explores the terminology used; the depiction of long-term harmful effects; the actors given space to express their views; the attention displayed to alternative treatments; the representation of pharmaceutical studies; the role of news and debate articles; the significance of conflicts of interest; and whether ADHD is portrayed as a medical condition. The results show that mass media, in numerous ways, neglects or undermines the critique of pharmacological interventions for ADHD put forward in the scientific literature. In the article a social constructionist approach to psychotropic agents is developed, highlighting the significance of what the authors call “psychopharmacological elasticity.” The concept illustrates that the boundary between medicines and harmful agents, such as drugs, is flexible from a scientific standpoint and depends on collective definitional processes in society.