Fewer children being given antidepressants

Use of antidepressants by children continued to drop sharply this year in the wake of warning labels linking the prescription drugs to suicidal behavior, according to market analyses.

The decrease signals that doctors and parents are taking a more careful look at benefits and risks of treatments for depression, says child psychiatrist David Fassler of Burlington, Vt. "Not all depressed kids need medication. There are effective therapies, especially for milder forms of depression."

The Food and Drug Administration ordered "black boxes," the most severe safety warning, for antidepressants in October 2004, and these stronger labels were on the medicines by March. The FDA said two out of 100 children were more likely to think about or try suicide because they were taking the pills.

There has been a 25% drop in pediatric prescriptions for antidepressants since the FDA started issuing safety warnings in 2003, according to a September analysis by Medco Health Solutions, pharmacy-benefit managers. About a 20% overall drop is reported by NDC Health Inc. from March 2004 to June.

Courtesy of USA Today

Bonnie - This is welcome news!