Too many antidepressants given to kids; may be linked to suicides
According to British
researchers, the use of antidepressant drugs in children is increasing even
though there is little evidence for their effectiveness and safety in
children and adolescents. Of particular concern are selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are widely prescribed.
The researchers looked
at drug prescriptions written during 2002 to over 500,000 Italian patients
under 18. A total of 1,600 young people (2.8 per 1,000) received at least
one antidepressant, 1,200 of them an SSRI. Two thirds of prescriptions were
for adolescents (age 14-17), mostly girls. That means that, out of this
Italian study group alone, 28,000 youths are exposed to treatment with
antidepressants and 21,000 of them are receiving SSRIs.
What makes the problem
even worse is that these prescribing rates are lower than those reported for
other countries, such as the United States (10-20 per 1,000) and the
Netherlands (4.4 per 1,000).
According to the
report, published in the BMJ (formerly, the British Medical
Journal), there has been a 4.5-fold increase in the rate of
prescriptions for SSRIs between 2000 and 2002.
All but one of the
SSRIs prescribed are unlicensed for children.
Shortly after the
report was published, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned doctors
and parents to keep a close eye on people, especially children, who are
taking antidepressants because the drugs could cause serious side effects
that might include suicidal thoughts.
The FDA asked
manufacturers to change the labels of 10 antidepressants to include stronger
cautions and warnings about the need to monitor patients for the worsening
of depression and the emergence of suicidal ideation, regardless of the
cause of such worsening.
SOURCES:
“FDA Issues Public Health Advisory on Cautions for Use of Antidepressants in
Adults and Children,” Food & Drug Administration, March 22, 2004.
“Increase in
non-evidence based use of antidepressants in children is cause for concern,”
BMJ, March 20, 2004.
