America’s Medicated Kids

America’s Medicated Kids follows Louis Theroux as he visits one of America’s leading psychiatric centres in Pennsylvania. Faced with the challenging behaviour of their children, many parents are turning to medication, despite the fact that both the drugs and the diagnoses remain controversial.

Theroux investigates how children who are being prescribed medication for mental health disorders, and their families, are affected. He meets with psychiatrists, counsellors, parents and children to gain a deeper understanding of the topic.

The film assesses whether families are becoming over-dependent on prescription pills to medicate children, how effective these drugs are, and the negative effects they can have on children and their families.