Antidepressants may be a danger to kids and could encourage suicidal thoughts, say docs

MOST “happy pills” do not work for children and some may even be unsafe, a study has claimed.
Only one of 14 antidepressants tested was better than a sugar pill at relieving symptoms.
One called venlafaxine was linked to a greater risk of suicidal thoughts in kids with major depression.

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A single drug — fluoxetine, the most commonly prescribed child antidepressant in the UK — was the only pill to have any benefit.

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Doctors analysed 34 trials of 5,260 youngsters aged nine to 18. This showed the benefits outweighed the risks only for fluoxetine. The rest were considered useless or unsafe. Prof Peng Xie, at Chongqing Medical University, China, said: “The balance of risks and benefits of antidepressants to treat major dep- ression does not seem to offer a clear advantage in children and teenagers

The balance of risks and benefits of antidepressants to treat major dep- ression does not seem to offer a clear advantage in children

About 80,000 children aged five to 16 in Britain suffer from severe depression, according to official figures. Use of antidepressants in under-18s is not recommended on the NHS but they are prescribed as a last resort.
The Chinese research backs a study earlier this year that showed teens who take common mood-lifting tablets are more likely to feel suicidal.

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