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Literature Review

Can Antidepressant Use in Adolescence Increase Suicide rates/thoughts?
A Review of the Literature

Over the past recent years, there have been growing concerns about the use of antidepressants in adolescents (10-17 years of age). All over the world there has been an increase in adolescent depression. Many parents and clinical psychiatrists are beginning to wonder if it is really beneficial for adolescents to be prescribed antidepressants. For parents, if their child is acting differently than he/she normally does, they will take them to a psychiatrist to see if they can do anything about it. Depending on the severity of the situation, the psychiatrist may prescribe an antidepressant. Unfortunately, prescribing an antidepressant to an adolescent may increase suicidal thoughts and/or suicidal completions. This literature review considers whether or not antidepressants are appropriate for use by adolescents and if they do contribute to the increased suicidal thoughts and actions. This review will respond to the following questions:

1. Are antidepressants safe for adolescents?
2. Are the risks of suicide increased as a result of taking antidepressant medication?
3. What is the FDA doing to warn of the risks of suicide with use of antidepressant medication?

Before a child is prescribed an antidepressant, both the parents and the psychiatrist need to understand the risks of suicide associated with the specific antidepressant. Being prescribed an antidepressant at such a young age, the medication may actually make the child worse by increasing suicidal thoughts as well as increasing the chances that the child may actually carry out a suicidal attempt.

Are antidepressants safe for adolescents?
Depression in adolescents can be a very devastating problem for both the child and the parent. Many times, both want to get back to the “normal” life that the child had lead before. In many instances, the parent wants to have the child put on an...