Anti Depressants in Teens

Certain medicine can’t be effective on everyone that uses it. After reading the arguments from both side. I do agree that on some degree antidepressants does have effects on suicidal thoughts, but in contrast to the absence of antidepressants usage increase the suicidal rate way higher. Medicine are just a factor that help soothe the person’s condition, the main reason is how the person view the world, themselves, and their future. Therefore, I think that the individuals shouldn’t stop their medication on antidepressants because it does help treat their depression which can also cause suicide if it isn’t treated carefully. Authorities should also keep an eye on them to make sure the medications are going well and doesn’t cause any side effect for the

However, adults have speculated that when teenagers or youth in general seek help for a mental illness and then therefore receive antidepressants or a similar drug to take, the medication is what actually causes the suicide attempt. On any antidepressant, there is a warning on the label that states “May cause suicidal thoughts” (Bichell). There are many different types of medication under the antidepressant category, and I speak from experience when I say that one type of antidepressant medication may affect you differently than another person. A doctor may speak with the recipient of the medication and warn them to notify someone close to them that they are on the medication to watch for changes in activity, personality, etc. that show signs of possible suicidal activity. Through monitoring and the person on the medication making their thoughts know, this risk of suicide from anti-depressants or other medication should disperse. A major component of keeping control of suicidal activity requires a close family member or friend to be a part of an individual 's life...but what if

Antidepressant drugs taken by children have been linked to increased risk of suicide. Exasperated mental health professionals began prescribing antidepressants to children and teens in large proportions in the 1990’s, even though studied safety of such drugs for use in minors had not been conducted. Consequently, standard growth models and brain development may be impaired by the use of these drugs. Moreover, children may be risking one evil for another as adult years could prove to hold adverse side effects and health risks from prolonged use of these drugs.

Antidepressant drugs, which can be lifesaving, are being underused in young people. Their use fell significantly after the Food and Drug Administration issued its black-box warning in October of 2004, stating that all antidepressants were associated with a risk of increased suicidal feeling, thinking and behavior in adolescents; later on that warning was extended to young adults (Friedman 1). The Food and Drug Administration-FDA ordered drug companies to place a black-box warning on antidepressant drugs, this would then allow parents to see the side effects the drug might come with. As antidepressants can have its benefits, it is not the only way to treat a mental illness like depression. The majority of parents believe antidepressant is the only treatment and that psychotherapy is a waste of time and money. “About 80 percent of people with depression respond positively to professional medical treatment--usually talk therapy, medication or a combination of both--and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. Unfortunately, less than half of those with depression seek treatment(Clayton

The manufacturers of certain antidepressants have already changed the product labeling to warn about a possible increased risk of suicidality with these drugs. But now a "black box" warning is being required for all antidepressant drugs.

At age seven, Ben Williams began showing signs of depression, telling his mother “I am not destined to have a happy life. I’d be better off dead.” His mother went to a general practitioner who said it was just a phase. At age ten, Ben tried to kill himself. It was only after his incident that he was prescribed antidepressants. Ben is now 17 and is no longer prescribed antidepressants. His mother states, “you never think it will happen to your child until it does.” There are many real stories, such as this one presented in an article by the Telegraph titled “Why Are We Giving Our Primary School Aged Children Anti-Depressants?” The battle on antidepressants has been ongoing, with some people refusing to accept them as a treatment for clinical depression and others accepting them without a question. These debates have lead to more experiments being conducted with the drugs in the United States and abroad, although rarely with children. Following some experiments conducted by the FDA, a “black box” warning had been issued in 2004. According to Walgreens, a large pharmaceutical company, “A black box warning is the strictest warning put in the labeling of prescription drugs or drug products by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when there is reasonable evidence of an association of a serious hazard with the drug. It is basically a warning with a black box around it, hence the name. Having the black box around the warning means that an adverse reaction to the drug may lead to death or serious injury.” There is currently a “black box” warning on antidepressants saying that they could increase suicidal thought in children, but the warning shouldn’t keep children from obtaining the treatment that may help them live an exponentially better life.

Not only may medications be less effective than therapy, medication can have serious side effects that can make them dangerous, especially in children. “The link between antidepressants and suicide rates among children and adolescents is a very serious issue that both Congress and the FDA are investigating” (Davis). Medication meant to help with serious depression cannot be considered beneficial if it causes the patient to consider

Even though antidepressants serve as a temporary relief for teens with depression, they should not be considered an effective treatment to cure depression due to the side effects, risk of addiction, and increase thoughts of suicide. “Teen depression is a serious condition that affects emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Issues such as peer pressure, academic expectations, and changing bodies can bring a lot of ups and downs for teens” (Mayo Clinic). Depression does not discriminate; no matter what race, gender, or religion, depression can turn a person’s life upside down if they do not handle it correctly. “Depression usually starts between the ages of fifteen and thirty” (WebMD). Teen depression may be more common among members of a family

Some pediatric psychiatrists had been treating their patients with antidepressants for a very long time. Antidepressants such as Prozac appeared to be just as effective in treating depression in kids as it did in adults, but its long term effects in growing minds had not yet been discovered. Recent research now suggests that such drugs may interfere with

One in every 25 adolescents is prescribed antidepressants to help manage depression. Depression is a serious mental illness that affects how people feel, think and behave. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. People may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes they feel as if life isn't worth living. Doctors and physicians prescribe antidepressants as a treatment to patients who show signs of depression or have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). Antidepressant

antidepressant medication are drugs for the treatment of depression and help the person to improve moods .it helps the person to treat anxiety ,phobia and obsessive -compulsive disorders .when the person takes the drug he/she reduce depression .

These findings could implicate practice as a mental health nurse as one could establish that antidepressants have a similar efficacy to placebos, but yet only antidepressants are prescribed to patients. One would have to discuss this issue with the team and find out their views to help broaden one’s knowledge. Reflective practice or supervision would also help to find out other nurses’ views on this topic. It is important as a mental health nurse to fully understand the implications of antidepressants in order to treat patients effectively. It is also important in relation to patient education as giving patients information about the medication they are taking aids

Psychological issues affect people with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. Depression is a condition in which a person’s main emotions withdraw and there is a prolonged sadness over a long period of time. Main causes of depression consist of abuse in one’s lifetime, horrific or tragic events and or certain medications. “About 121 million people world-wide are believed to suffer from depression” (Naurt, 2008). Symptoms consist of low self esteem, disturbed sleep habits, appetite loss and the feeling of being not wanted; “It can lead to suicide and is associated with 1 million deaths a year” (Naurt, 2008). Antidepressants are the common treatment for depression, but music therapy is becoming increasingly popular. The biological perspective on the anti-depressants given to patients diagnosed with depression can have very horrific side effects. One such group of anti-depressants is Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): “…there is also an established direct link between suicide and violent behavior and the use of SSRIs” (Tyrell, 2001). Most people stop using anti-depressants because of the drugs’ side effects. The SSRIs are just one example of malicious effects anti-depressant drugs that can create on people. Another research study completed by Kikuchi, Mimura, Suzuki, Uchida and Watanabe (2013), affirms their hypothesis that antidepressants has profound negative effects on patients with

As the literature remains inconclusive as to the relation between current major treatment modalities and depressive disorder, and given the extremities of the potential dangers of antidepressant medications, it is apparent that there is a need to develop new interventions, which show greater efficacy, safety, and acceptability.

“Eleven percent of Americans aged 12 years and over, take antidepressant medication,” “antidepressants were the third most common prescription drug … in 2005 – 2008,” and from 1988 to 2008, the rate of antidepressant use in the US increased nearly 400% (Pratt).