Does Antidepressants Use in Teenagers Increase Suicide Rates?

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

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

To fully understand the effects of antidepressants on children and adolescents, proper experimentation must be conducted, which could prove challenging as to the span of years and test subjects involved in these cases. Meanwhile, some mental health professionals assert that the use of antidepressants in children may well avert the brain from developing patterns of depression as an adult, and points to studies presenting the advantages which can offset the hazards in implementing such drugs. Depression is ominous and foreboding for those who suffer with this malady; professionals contend that the vast “impact of depression is greater than the impact of the

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

As in adults, depression in children and adolescents is treatable. Certain antidepressant medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can be beneficial to children and adolescents with MDD. Certain psychotherapy modules also have been shown to be effective. However, our awareness of antidepressant treatments in children and adolescents, though growing substantially, is incomplete compared to our knowledge about treating depression in adults.

Depression is a prominent illness in the adolescent community, and we need to find a way to help and treat sufferers of

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

“One in eight persons needs treatment for depression during his or her lifetime” (Prozac.com). Prozac is claimed as the wonder drug cure for obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, bulimia, and panic disorder by fixing the imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Many documented cases have been made about side effects of Prozac and how it has negatively affected many of its users. Doctors need to have more responsibility and stricter guidelines for diagnosis of adolescent depression and should consider medication a last resort while pharmaceutical companies should develop a new youth-friendly antidepressant with fewer side effects.

Then when childhood depression was recognised as a separate illness in itself, clinicians were initially reluctant to prescribe medications to children and adolescents, and tended to use it only as a last resort for acute cases. However, since 1990, antidepressants – especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) – have increasingly been used as a first line of treatment (Jureidini, 2004). According to a National Center for Health Statistics’ report, the rate of antidepressant use amongst American teens increased 400% between 1988–1994 and 2005–2008. Nowadays, roughly one in ten Americans take antidepressants on the regular (Wehrwein,

In a study conducted by Wagner et al.in 2004, researchers investigated the efficacy and safety of citalopram compared to placebo to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in children and adolescents. The problem described in the study was that up to 5%of children and 8% of adolescents meet diagnostic criteria for depression, which often continues to adulthood. The purpose to examine it and find a solution is because depression in children and adolescents can negatively affect school performance, peer relationships, and risk of suicide could increase. The general hypothesis was that by citalopram being effective in the treatment of depression in the adult population, it would also be effective in the use of children and adolescents because 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

JAMA. (2014, June 6). Antidepressant medications for children and adolescents: Information for parents and caregivers. Retrieved October 27, 2016, from National Institute of Mental Health, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/antidepressant-medications-for-children-and-adolescents-information-for-parents-and-caregivers.shtml

One major clinical trial done by March, Silva, and Petrycki provided evidence for the long term effectiveness in treating adolescents with depression as well as safety measures. They found that combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with the antidepressant fluoxetine was the most effective treatment for treating depression in adolescents ages 12-17. In the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS), March and his colleagues concluded that suicidal events were more common in patients receiving fluoxetine therapy than those receiving cognitive behavioral therapy or the combination therapy. They concluded that medication can reduce suicide ideation, however combining it with therapy is more effective and yields better results

The selected primary research journal article focuses on a randomized controlled trial that tests the suitability (in terms of safety and efficacy) of escitalopram for treating childhood and adolescent depression (Findling et. al., 2006). The study stems from the fact that there is a demand for effective medications that are safe enough to cater to children and teenagers with depression (Findling et. al., 2006). Study participants were children and adolescents ranging from six to seventeen years old, and were qualified for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV criteria (Findling et. al., 2006). Moreover, they had to be experiencing

Today review evidence-based treatment fashion in Children and adolescents. We will also review new Suicide Prevention guidelines