Antidepressants In Children And Teens
With a rising rate of depression in young children and teens, antidepressant use is quite common. However, it is important that parents and guardians know and understand how antidepressant use may affect their child before exploring this option.
According to Judith Peacock and Jackie Casey in Depression, “Little research has been done on the safety and effectiveness of antidepressants for children and teens. In addition, professionals worry about how easy it can be to overprescribe antidepressants.” Before considering antidepressants for a child, parents and guardians must learn how antidepressants are related to risks of self-injury and suicide, what signs to look out for in children or teens who are on antidepressants, and what the benefits and risks of antidepressants for kids and teens really are.
Depression can often lead to thoughts of harming oneself or even suicide. This is known as being suicidal or having suicidal ideation. The use of antidepressants may actually increase these thoughts and feelings. According to Charney, Nemeroff and Braun in The Peace of Mind Prescription, “… data from the makers of Paxil and Effexor indicating increases in mood instability and thoughts of suicide in a small number of depressed children and adolescents treated with these agents.”
The results of a large FDA study, which combined the results of 24 different studies, showed that 4 out of 100 children and teens on antidepressants became suicidal after taking the medication for 4 months. Also, it has been shown that antidepressant-related suicidal tendencies are greater in children and teens suffering from manic-depressive illness or bipolar illness or those with familiar histories of such illnesses.
Parents and guardians can prevent and reduce the risk of self-injury and suicide by being extremely attentive to any sudden or drastic changes in the mood, behavior, or personality of a child on antidepressants. It is a good idea to involve teachers, caretakers, and other people who play an important role in the child’s life and have them be on the lookout as well. Changes in moods and personality may occur either when an antidepressant is started for the first time or when its dosage is changed.
Essentially, parents and guardians should see a medical professional as soon as they see any signs of increased depression in a child who is taking antidepressants. These include panic attacks; new or increased anxiety; irritability or depression; suicide attempts; insomnia; aggressive, violent or abusive behavior; manic behavior; and any other sudden or strange changes.
Moreover, once a child or teenager has started taking an antidepressant, it is important to visit the doctor once a week for the first 4 weeks, every 2 weeks for the next month and at the end of the 12th week. In addition, one must also visit the doctor if any problems arise.
While antidepressants are linked to serious side effects, there are also benefits attached to their use. Antidepressants are used to treat depression and the FDA has approved the use of antidepressant drugs such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Luvox (fluvoxamine), and Zoloft (sertraline) for the treatment of children and teens for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders. In some cases of depression, psychotherapy and alternative treatments may not work and therefore, it may be essential to resort to medication. A doctor or medical care professional will be able to prescribe other antidepressants based on the patient’s responsiveness to existing treatment.
While this information offers a general warning of antidepressant use and suicide, there may be other side effects related to their use. Therefore, it is important that parents, guardians and caretakers ask doctors for a list of all side effects, and they must be vigilant at all times and consult a medical professional as soon as they notice any changes in mood or behavior.
Here are some more resources with information on depression and antidepressant use in children and teenagers:
- Antidepressant Medications for Kids and Adolescents – Important information for parents and caretakers on the use of antidepressants for children and teens.
- Risks and Benefits of Antidepressants for Children – Understand the advantages and disadvantages associated with use of antidepressants for treating depression in children.
- Reducing Risks of Antidepressants for Children – Useful information on how to minimize antidepressant-related risks for kids and teens.
- Treating Childhood and Adolescent Depression with Medication – A comprehensive guide for parents to help understand the use of antidepressants to treat childhood and adolescent depression.
- Approved Antidepressants for Children and Teens – The FDA’s guidelines on antidepressants approved for use in children and adolescents.
- Relationship of Teen Suicide with Antidepressants – Information on whether antidepressants can increase the suicidal behavior in depressed teens.
- Adolescent Depression and Treatment – Useful information on symptoms, treatment and prevention of adolescent depression.
- Depression in Kids and Teens – Comprehensive information on depression in kids and the signs, incidence, treatment options and what can parents do to help.
- Facts about Depression in Children – Important details on symptoms of depression in kids.
- Therapy, Antidepressants and Kids – Information on how a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication can help children with depression.
- Depression, Antidepressants and Children – A detailed article on antidepressants and suicidal ideation in depressed children and how to make a treatment decision.
- Cancer, Depression and Suicide – Important information on depression and suicide in children suffering from cancer.
- Antidepressants and Suicide Risk in Kids – An article on how antidepressants may increase the suicide risk in depressed children.
- Dealing with Teen Depression – Comprehensive resource on teen depression, signs, symptoms, effects and treatment.