What?s The Latest on Suicide Risk and Antidepressants For Children?

FDA confirms some antidepressants increase suicide risk in some children. In February of 2004, two advisory committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that the FDA warn practitioners about the possible risk of suicide potential associated with antidepressant treatment in children. The information was obtained from clinical trials of medications with children, expert witnesses on suicide research, testimony from families of suicide victims, as well as from those whose children had benefited from antidepressant medication.

At a second meeting last year, improvement on antidepressant study designs and monitoring for suicide risk was discussed. Now, federal officials are preparing stronger warnings giving some antidepressants to children after new analyses back a suspected link to suicidal thoughts and behavior. FDA and Columbia University psychiatric specialists have re-evaluated 25 studies involving more than 4,000 young people and eight antidepressants. When all the results were lumped together, young antidepressant users were about 1.8% times more likely to have suicidal thoughts or behaviors than patients given dummy pills. Risk varied widely from drug to drug and among studies of the same drug, but studies of Effexor showed particular risk.

At present, changes have been made in the labels for Effexor, Serzone,Wellbutrin, Celexa, Lexapro and Paxil indicating warnings which apply to both adults and children with major depressive disorder. The warnings recommend that patients be observed closely for clinical worsening and the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior, particularly when they begin treatment and when the dose is changed. The warnings also advise families and caregivers of patients to be alert to those and other symptoms, including agitation and irritability, and to immediately let health care providers know about them.

Despite the warnings and possible risks, it should be noted that Major Depression is a serious mental illness which often responds favorably to medication, in both children and adults.

Debra S. Gorin, M.D. received her medical degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She has been in private practice as a Psychiatrist for the past sixteen years in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. Dr. Gorin treats all types of stress-related, emotional and psychiatric problems of children, adolescents, and adults. She is also a trained hypnotherapist. Visit her website (http://www.doctorgorin.com) to view her growing library of psychiatric and health-related articles. Dr. Gorin's weblog can be viewed at http://debragorinmd.blogspot.com She can be contacted at couchdoctor415@yahoo.com

---

Depression in Long Term Care Heart Patients Often Goes Untreated

Cardiologists, other doctors and long term care staff might be... Read More

Antidepressants: Control or Cure?

What's curious is that most of them will be on... Read More

How Do You Know if You Have Manic-Depression

Nancy was doing very well until about two years ago... Read More

St Johns Wort and Depression

The bright yellow flower of the St Johns Wort (hypericum... Read More

Everyday I have the Blues: A Medical Intuitive look at Depression

It may come in waves, it may control our lives.... Read More

FDA Deems Vagus Nerve Therapy Approvable as a Treatment for Depression

On February 3, 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration... Read More

Suffocate

I felt cold, my body was stiff and my back... Read More

Psychiatrist Begin Training About Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Depression

The manufacturer of the vagus nerve stimulator has begun face-to... Read More

Do You Think You Have Depression?

Do you have days where nothing can make you happy?... Read More

Depression: 14 Universal Laws for Recovery

The Law of BlueJust sort of feeling blue, kinda out... Read More

Neuromodulation Is Now The Mainstream Therapy For Chronic Depression

The cover of the March 7, 2005 issue of Business... Read More

Your Daily Struggle With Depression

If you have been diagnosed with depression or feel that... Read More

Beating Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Why are these illnesses on the rise? And why do... Read More

ADHD and Depression -- More Common Than Thought

"Thanks for Noticin' Me" says Eeyore. He walks slowly. He... Read More

Seven Steps to Good Mental Health

Psychological well-being is something that we all have a right... Read More

Vagus Nerve Stimulation as a Treatment for Depression to be Launched in May

Final FDA approval of vagus nerve stimulation as a therapy... Read More

Reclaiming Your Life From Anxiety Symptoms

Only somebody who has lived with anxiety ? as either... Read More

5 Super Effective Tips To Kill Depression

Being lonely is a normal part of our everyday lives.... Read More

Depression is Underdiagnosed in College Students

Everyone feels down or blue once in awhile. Especially during... Read More

Depression is a Choice

There is one very simple reason for all emotional depression.In... Read More

Are the Benefits Worth the Costs?

Schizophrenia suffers around the world have benefitted greatly with the... Read More

I?m Not Depressed; I?ve Just Been Having A Lousy Conversation With Myself

Not long ago, I attended a mastermind group. During the... Read More

Depression in Teenagers: Now What Can We Do?

No doubt you have seen the recent news headlines about... Read More

How You Can Learn To Treat Depression

When a person undertakes a course of therapy through their... Read More

Insurance Reimbursement for Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Depression

I attended the Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy Conference at the... Read More

When Your Fears and Depression Have the Best of You

What do you do when your fears and depression are... Read More

Surviving the Storms of Life

August in Florida has a daily ritual that Floridians take... Read More

10 Simple Coping Strategies When a Family Member Has Clinical Depression

1.Remember that it is an illness:Clinical depression often requires medical... Read More

When Your Mind Develops A Mind Of Its Own

We've all been there? One minute your listening intently as... Read More

FDA Nears Completion of Review of Vagus Nerve Stimulation For Chronic Depression

On June 2 at 8:00 pm ET, Reuters news service... Read More

Are You Someones Puppet? Four Ways People Manipulate Others

With the current interest in mental health topics, a mental... Read More

Fighting Depression by Restoring Your Routines

When we have depression, one of the things we drop... Read More

Adult Men and Women Who Suffer From Chronic Depression

Market surveys on women, men and depression suggest an estimated... Read More