Antidepressant Benefits Outweigh Risks for Kids

Ivanhoe Newswire
Wednesday, April 18, 2007; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- In 2004, the FDA mandated "black box" warnings be placed on antidepressants after research suggested the drugs may increase children's risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior.

Now, a new review of previous studies calls that into question, as researchers say the benefits of antidepressants for children and teens with depression or anxiety disorders may outweigh the risks, and the increased risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts from taking these drugs is not statistically significant.

The Ohio State University researchers say they, like the FDA, found evidence of small but increased risk of suicidal thoughts/attempts after treatment. However, they were reported as saying, "The pooled random-effects risk differences of suicidal ideation/suicide attempt for each indication were all less than 1 percent. There were no completed suicides in these trials."

They continue, "... We believe that the strength of evidence presented here supports the cautious and well-monitored use of antidepressant medications as one of the first-line treatment options..."

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SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2007;297:1683-1696