The Pros And Cons Of Antidepressants

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.

Teen depression is a serious condition that can be a devastating problem for both the child and parent. It is a disorder that reduces their moods thus causing loss of interest in things they should enjoy and make them irritable. In this literature review we are going to examine the use of antidepressants to treat teen depression. It will also look at the risks of suicides increased as a result of taking antidepressants and the measures taken to reduce this problem.

Lastly, what effects to antidepressants have on mood, behavior, and suicidal tendencies? In her article, ‘The Hidden Harm of Antidepressants’, Diana Kwon, a science writer with a Master’s degree for McGill University in neuroscience, she reviews several studies about the use of antidepressants, and had found the safety data on some of these drugs have been withheld from the public. She mentions research done in Copenhagen by some researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Center, and how they discovered that “pharmaceutical companies were not presenting the full extent of serious harm in clinical study reports…” (Kwon para 2). These clinical study reports are then used by people at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve or deny new

The aim of the study was to characterize patients on antidepressants after self-poisoning with suicidal intent regarding age, sex, type of current antidepressant therapy, and type of substances ingested in order to commit suicide. During the study, 175 patients were found with current antidepressants therapy and presented with self-poisoning using their antidepressant therapy medication or other medications. This study also found that the suicide risk for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were significantly low than those of tricyclic antidepressants. The author of this article concluded that in suicide prevention, it is vital that the risks and benefits of an antidepressant should be taken into account when choosing treatment for depressive patients. Furthermore, at the same time, depressed patients that exhibit suicidal tendencies should be under close psychiatric assessment in order to prevent such possible suicidal attempts.

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.

Should antidepressant drugs be prescribed for children suffering from depression? Depression is a serious mental condition that is characterized by extreme feeling of sadness, worthlessness and hopelessness, fatigue, irritability, loss of appetite, inability to concentrate, and insomnia or excessive sleeping. “One in four young people aged 16 to 24 experience mental health problems during their teenage years, For youths under 14, mental disorders make up 22.6 per cent of the burden of disease. For those aged 15 to 24, almost half (49 per cent) of the estimated burden of disease in young people is due to mental disorders. (Lisa Mayoh) Antidepressant drugs should not be prescribed for children for depression because of rise in suicide, causes

Imagine living in a world of pain, your mind is a dark, scary, and dangerous place. One scribbled note from the doctor changes everything. It can bring sweet relief, the lifting of the dark fog, or a sense of being in control again. But for some, it can spark a journey into an even darker, scarier territory. Should antidepressant drugs be prescribed for children suffering from depression? Today, kids everywhere suffer from depression. It affects everyone ages 3-18, boys and girls, no matter what race. There has been controversy whether or not children and teens should be prescribed antidepressants, although taking antidepressants makes depression worse for some people, antidepressants trigger suicidal thoughts, and the children should

Their usage is also usually associated with withdrawal symptoms and adverse side effects such as suicidality (Olfson, Marcus, & Shaffer, 2006). It should be noted that not all antidepressants work the same way, and it would be unfair to group them all as highly dangerous. For example, though paroxetine has been banned in many countries, fluoxetine has been shown to be a relatively safe treatment option (Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study (TADS) Team,

Are anti-depressants a medication or a mental steroid?” (Kramer). For many years there has been an ongoing talk about anti-depressants. The big question is, are they really a cure for depression or just a mental steroid. An anti-depressant is a medication used to treat depression and other anxiety disorders. When proscribed to children and teens there can be severe side effects such as an increased chance to commit suicide or have suicidal thoughts or actions. This risk of suicide is higher for people under the age of 25. (Mayo Clinic Staff). Teenage usage of anti-depressants has been a controversial issue for many decades.

Antidepressants have been widely used and accepted to treat depression and its related disorders. Sadly, many people commit suicide in America because they are depressed and it is one of the leading causes of death taking over 41,000 lives each year (United States). This is astonishing considering that one in ten Americans is currently taking an antidepressant that is supposed to reduce suicidal thoughts and actions (Rabin). Most doctors and psychiatrists swear by antidepressants claiming that the benefits and effectiveness of them outweigh the risks and side effects, but researchers have started to uncover that this medication may not deliver as promised (Satel). New research has discovered that, “whilst antidepressants offer benefits in both

The demand for antidepressants has skyrocketed since the early 1990’s with a majority of users being adults. Appalling to this fact is that about half of those under the prescriptions have in the recent past visited a mental health professional. In addition to this, almost 60 percent of those who use antidepressant do not really need them. I also concur with the fact that our modern lifestyle has contributed so much to augment depression rate.

the negative side of antidepressant drugs are increase blood pressure and the need to follow particular diets . the antidepressant most prescribe today is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ,(SSRIS) .

Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children, teens, and young adults. Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients of all ages who are started on antidepressant therapy or when the dose is changed should be monitored appropriately and observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior such as becoming agitated, irritable, hostile, aggressive, impulsive, or restless. Should these occur, report them to a doctor right