Summary: Did Your Teenager Take The Antidepressant Paxil

It compared the two different types of antidepressants with fluoxetine to see whether one had a greater risk for suicide related events. To test this, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study. A total of 36,842 children who were new users to antidepressants, were enrolled. The study found that there was no difference in suicide attempts depending on what medication was administered. Although this study focuses on different medication and their effect on suicide related events, I felt it was helpful to have it in my paper. It explores the risks involved in taking antidepressants and focused primarily on adolescents, which is a main factor in my research

More than 17 million Americans have depression. Depression is much more than grieving or ‘the blues’. It’s a serious illness that can take a terrible toll on individuals and families says the Mayo Clinic Health Center. In reality the effect of antidepressants is not that much, but it bases on the certain person and their lifestyle such as sleeping habits, mood, etc. However many have benefited from antidepressants and lives have changed for the better. Yet some have had no effects. Therefore, antidepressants should not be prescribed for children diagnosed with depression.

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

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.

Although antidepressants can be used as an alternative treatment for depression, there are many concerns with regards to this type of treatment. One of the many concerns is that there is a risk of suicide when taking antidepressants. Study by Olfson et al, (2006) support this claim as their comparison between individuals treated with antidepressants and individuals not treated with those, has shown that there was a significant link between suicidal attempts and individuals taking antidepressants. However, this study presents only a link between those and this

Even if children are a little depressed, should they be prescribed these drugs? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Psychiatric drugs have never been tested on children, and most of them are not even approved by the FDA for use in childhood. Almost nothing is known regarding the influence of antidepressants on children's growing brains. While some researchers claim that they have found nothing to show that the pills cause any harm. The families of Paxil victims have another story to

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

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.

In the past few recent years, there has been a developing concern about the use of antidepressants in teenagers (13-20 years of age) as there has been increase in teen depression in the

Approximately ten percent of our youth suffer from a deppresive/anxiety disorder. The youth of our society are being treated with anti depressants such as prozac; which, carry a “black box warning.” The FDA has required that boxed warnings be placed on all antidepressant medications warning they may result in increased risk of suicidal tendencies in children, and young adults aged 18-24 years old. The black box warning is the highest warning that can labeled on any medication. It means there has been significant research completed to show a legitimate concern for the well being of the population who is prescribed the medication.

At first it was the cure all people were looking for. Then it became the drug they were afraid to take. Somewhere between these two extremes lies the truth about the drug Flouxetine, better known as Prozac, the most widely prescribed drug on the globe. It is mainly prescribed to patients suffering from clinical depression. It was first brought to the market in 1988 by the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly co. Even though it was originally prescribed for depression, it has been prescribed for everything from eating disorders to insomnia. It was first considered the wonder drug of the new decade because of the way it helped depression patients when no other anti-depressant could

The nursing journal I choose to do my research article critique comes from the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. The objective of the study was to determine which medication was more efficient and safer, valproic acid or risperidone. There have been only a few medication trials involving preschool children. Bipolar disorder although rare it does present in preschool children. Previous studies have shown that bipolar subjects were more severely depressed and had higher rates of comorbid disorders. The study was six-week, double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of monotherapy with risperidone, valproic acid, or placebo. Participants were male or female outpatient subjects, three to seven years of age, with bipolar

“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).

Until recently depression in children and adolescents had not received a great deal of attention. Increasing interest can probably be traced to a number of influences.