Antidepressants On Children Essay

The goal of this paper is to examine whether and how antidepressants are associated suicide risk in adolescents.

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

Psychotropic medications, also referred to as psychiatric or psychotherapeutic medications, are used to treat psychiatric disorders, such as: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They have been used for many years and oftentimes come with dangerous side effects. The side effects that often occur in children taking these medications can include: fainting, blurred vision, vomiting, extreme weight gain, and even death ("Seroquel information,” n.d.). The use of psychotropic medication to treat mental disorders in children and adolescents is highly controversial because of ethical viewpoints (i.e. parents “drugging” their children to calm them down) and potentially

The controversy over the use of antidepressants in the treatment of children has received a large amount of attention in the past years. Everyone has his or her own opinion of antidepressants and how they work, but no one takes time to research the claims of the treatments. Antidepressants are medications to treat depression in children, teens, and adults. The dosage given should vary on the level of depression and the age of the patient. The side effects also vary depending on the patient. One source states that, “teenagers on antidepressants should be monitored for any sign that the depression is getting worse” (HelpGuide.Org). Many teens are depressed from causes of neglect. Some may feel that their parents are not around as much as they should be. Depressed teens should be watched closely and if the parent or parents are not available to keep a close look the outcome of the teen may be in danger. If a parent pays more attention to their child, then they could intervene before the depression worsens. There is a possibility of prevention of the

The argument regarding the use of antidepressants has been increasing over time. With our lives more stressed than ever, the age in which they are being prescribed also become younger. As a society where ‘there is a pill for that’, have we completely ignored traditional medicine? Are we setting the youth up for failure for not addressing the underlining problem, or is the answer upping the legal age of the use? The answer is yes, we are essentially setting our kids up for an unsure future. With the uncertainty of these prescriptions, we allow their minds and bodies to be exploited for financial gain by the top rated pharmaceutical companies.

Psychiatric drugs are safe for children and adolescents. A large reason psychiatric drugs may be criticized is for the widespread belief that they are dangerous and counter productive to the desired rehabilitated state, and that they are especially dangerous for underage individuals. A fear of the use of

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

The cause of Clinical depression has long been a mystery to physicians and researchers. Many different theories have been proposed, but no conclusive evidence has been put forth. However, most of what we know about depression stems from the results of certain drugs which have been successful in treating the clinically depressed. These anti--depressants have led to the assumption that depression is most likely due to a chemical imbalance (of neurotransmitters) which somehow leads to the symptoms of depression. To try and write a paper on all the theories of depression would be endless, as would be a study on all the different types of

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently one of the most controversial groups of medicines, with fluoxetine, more commonly known by its brand name Prozac, at the head of the controversy. Opponents of the use of SSRI medications as a successful and safe method for treating depression and related disorders assert that the actions of the drug are an unnatural and a dangerous form of tampering with our neurochemistry. Not only are these medications incredibly safe in almost all cases, they are actually an unnatural method of modifying an already disordered, natural sequence of chemicals in the brain, and therefore are not a form of tampering, but are a method for fixing

First, the Pro viewpoint is anti- depressant drugs are good because they can improve the quality of life for children with depression. Firstly, parents of bipolar kids face hard questions. The Boston Globe states, “Without treatment kids can have a hard time focusing in school and are more prone to outbursts at any time when they get angry or bad anxiety. The illness in a child can severely impair a child’s ability to socialize and get through daily life.”(Lopez, 3) With The Boston Globe claiming that if children don’t get treatment, that they could possibly have a difficult time getting through a simple day, think about them trying to get through a whole year of their life, about how difficult that could be for a child. Janet Woznick, psychiatrist

Common types of medication include POM (prescription only medication) which can be obtained from a pharmacist only if prescribed by a doctor. These could include anti-depressants which are very common. Anti-depressants work by selecting receptors in the brain and controls levels of serotonin. They come under the group 'SSRIS' (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Over the counter medicines (OTC) may include things like paracetamol or ibuprofen, which are everyday painkillers. Something like paracetamol inhibits the production of pain and inflammation-causing chemicals called prostaglandins.

In addition to the strange increase in the use of psychiatric drugs to treat children, there are also several side

One of the biggest issues about prescribing children with psychiatric drugs is that the long-term effects of these drugs are yet to be discovered. Most of the mentioned drugs are second generation anti-psychotic medications. In contrast to first generation drugs, most of the second-generation drugs have been found recently. Therefore, although they are known to be less dangerous than first-generation drugs, their long-term side effects have not been explored thoroughly. In other words, when it comes to second-generation drugs, a sense of cluelessness rules the world of psychiatry. According to Consumer Reports, studies on how effective these drugs are, and whether they have long term effects or not have involved fewer than 3,000 children in

This paper covers the research method, research design, results, and conclusions drawn in the study conducted by Walkup, Albano, Piacentini, Birmaher, Compton, et al (2008); these scholars searched for evidence to support how the usage of certain antidepressant or antianxiety drugs increase the chances of an adolescent behaving irrationally or “acting crazy”. Additionally, this article evaluates how parents are coping with these changes in adolescents’ brains as they are still developing while still having to provide the adolescents care. Additionally, this article evaluates how poorly author Richard Friedman analyzes the findings from this study into his article published in The New York Times.

Depression a word we’re familiar with especially when it comes to adults, we know adults get depress and we understand the reasons, with the high demands in life it’s not uncommon to get lost in the shuffle. Depression in adult is something we have known for many years, but what has surprised many of us is that adolescents also get depressed. I myself still don’t fully understand the reasons why or how this happens. I see it very often adolescent coming in to the ER because they are depressed and want to hurt themselves, and each and every single time I’m shock. What could be so bad in their lives that would make them think they have no way out? This is the reason why I choice this topic, I want to learn more of how this disease affects so many children and teens and what we can do to stop it.