Use of antidepressants to kids under five more than doubles

Once again, researchers are warning about the misuse and overuse of antidepressants for children.

According to a study published in the April issue of Psychiatric Services, the use of paroxetine and other antidepressant medications continues to grow by about 10% annually among children and adolescents. The fastest-growing segment of users were found to be preschoolers aged 0-5 years, with use among girls doubling and use among boys growing by 64%. The study examined antidepressant use among approximately two million commercially-insured, pediatric beneficiaries 18 years and younger from 1998 to 2002.

For the entire sample, antidepressant use increased from 1.6% in 1998 to 2.4% in 2002, a 49% increase. Over the course of the study, the growth in use was greater among girls (68%) than boys (34%) and, for each gender respectively, growth was higher among younger boys and older girls.
“A number of factors acting together or independently may have led to escalated use of antidepressants among children and adolescents,” said Tom Delate, Ph.D., Director of Research at Express Scripts, which conducted the study. One of the factors he noted was the assumption that, if a medication was effective in adults, it would be equally effective in children and adolescents.

However, previous studies have shown this is not necessarily true and most antidepressants have never been tested on children. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that one medication – paroxetine – not be used in children and adolescents because, among youths, its efficacy has not been established for depression and its use is associated with increased risk of suicidal thinking and suicide attempts.

Delate stated that there is a concern that “antidepressants are being prescribed to youths without adequate information about their safety and efficacy in this population.”

SOURCE: “Preschoolers Lead Growth of Antidepressant Use,” Express Scripts, March 31, 2004.