Study Says That Benefit Outweighs Risk for Kids Taking Antidepressants
An article in the April 18 issue of The Journal of American Medical Association reported that the benefits of antidepressants for children still outweigh any risk of suicidality.
The researchers sought out studies of second-generation antidepressants--such as Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, Effexor, Serzone and Remeron--that had been conducted in children diagnosed with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other anxiety disorders. In all, they analyzed data on 5,310 children and teenagers from 27 studies.
They found that about one child in 100 treated developed worsening suicidal feelings above what would have been expected without any treatment.
In contrast, the FDA analysis, which triggered a black box warning about suicidality, found an increase of two children in 100. This new analysis, however, is the most comprehensive to date. It includes data from seven studies that were not part of the previous FDA analysis, including two large pediatric depression trials that were unavailable when the FDA did their analysis.
It should be noted that none of the children in the studies actually committed suicide.
When the researchers looked at the rates of response to treatment, they found that in the studies involving depression, 61 percent of patients improved while on antidepressants. 50 percent of those taking a placebo also improved.
Among young patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders, 52 percent improved on antidepressants, compared to 32 percent who improved with a placebo.
In the studies of anxiety disorders, 69 percent improved on antidepressants and 39 percent improved on placebo.
"The medications are safe and effective and should be considered as an important part of treatment," said study co-author Dr. David Brent of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The benefits seem favorable compared to the small risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior."
Comments
If a child had a terminal illness, as a parent, would you refuse to allow treatment because of a possible side effect of the treatment? Probably not. In most of the discussions I have seen regarding treatment of children and adolescents for depression or bipolar disorder, nowhere does it state that those who do commit suicide were very likely suicidal already before the treatment started. Is is known that very depressed people often do not commit suicide until after their treatment starts working and they are beginning to feel better, because prior to treatment they didn’t have the energy to plan it. As an individual who has been treated for many years after two suicide attempts and the mother of an adolescent, I would not hesitate to seek treatment for a mental disorder in my child if symptoms were evident. If for some reason my child did commit suicide, I would not be able to forgive myself if I had refused treatment with medication when it was indicated. However, if she did kill herself after being on medication, as shattered as I would be, I would be able to say that I did what I could in helping her.
Actually, we don’t know for sure that no one committed suicide in clinical trials for antidepressants. In one clinical trial I studied, [Archives of General Psychiatry Vol. 54 Dec. 1997 p. 1086] one-third of the clinical trial participants left the trials early and were ‘unavailable for follow up’.
Go to ssristories.com to read some of the cases reported by the media of ‘dark’ happenings on antidepressants.
I think it keeps the medical community and the pharmaceutical companies from becoming too bold if they know the victims’ families are still watching. Rattles them a bit.
Actually, we don’t know for sure that no one committed suicide in these clinical trials. In some of the trials I have seen, over one-third of the patients left the trial before completion and were unavailable for follow-up.
When we know that depresson is treated with loving a child, how is that we are all so interested to know what the chemicals can do to a depressed brain.
I believe that chemicals can leave a permanent damage to the neurochemistry of the brain,’
Ramesh1938
If only we had been told about the risk before my son took Zoloft.
He was the last person in the world that I would have expected to commit suicide. There was never any information about an increased risk until after he committed suicide. In fact, the day after he died I talked with his psychiatrist trying to grasp for some reason or what I had missed or not noticed. The doctor said “there was nothing you could have done”. “Sometimes these things just happen”. Easy for him to say. My son was only 12. He was not even depressed. He was being given the drug for “social anxiety disorder”.
This is what we used to call “SHY”. Now it is a disorder and has to be treated because the teachers at the schools want all of the kids to be the same. So a child like mine who was too bashful to talk had to take a drug to make him talk to avoid punishment by the school. Of course, on the other end you have the kids who are hyper and talk too much and they have to be drugged to calm them down so they will be the same as everyone too.
Obviously, I’m bitter. My son took his life in March 2005 shortly before the so called “black box” warnings were added to antidepressant drugs being administered to children.
Believe me, any risk is too much when it means the life of a child. When you wake up each morning with the same gaping hole in your heart, it is no consolation that you did your best. As long as there is any risk it is too much. We have to return to some old fashioned methods of rearing children both at home and at school. Differences in people are supposed to be the spice of life not the devil that needs to be squashed. I realize that there are some children that may be depressed but most of the time it is because of a problem at home or at school. So we need to work more on correcting the problems so that we don’t have to try to mask it in our children with drugs.
Medications given properly, with extreme caution and STRICT monitoring can save young peoples lives.. that is those who are in NEED of medication.
Often times, we have neglected to realize that these meds can intensify actions of teenagers, BEFORE they help reduce depression..etc.
That means the child can carry through with suicdal thoughts with more strength, but he or she is not yet feeling better.
And yes, meds should not be given if other types of treatment are more appropriate.
My deep sympathy for those who have lost family membesr.