SCI/TECH: Child Antidepressants Must Have Warnings, page 1

posted on Sep, 14 2004 @ 05:03 PM

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Science advisors for the government have recomended that antidepressants should carry the strongest possible warning lables. Recent evidence has shown an increase in suicides in children following the start of therapy. While they feel its rare, they also feel that parents need all the information when they are making treatment decisions.

story.news.yahoo.com
WASHINGTON - Antidepressants should come with the nation's strongest warning � in a black box on the label � that they can sometimes spur suicidal behavior in children and teenagers, the government's scientific advisers decided Tuesday.

It's a rare risk, and therefore families need detailed information on how to balance that concern with the need to treat depression, which itself can lead to suicide, cautioned advisers to the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites).

So antidepressants prescribed to minors also should come with an easy-to-read pamphlet that explains how to decide if the child is an appropriate candidate for the drug and what are the warning signs of suicide, the panel concluded. Also, FDA (news - web sites) should consider the extra step of making parents sign a form that they understand the risks before the child receives the first pill.

There may be a backlash to such strong warnings, cautioned FDA advisory committee chairman Dr. Wayne Goodman, psychiatry chairman at the University of Florida.

"It will make prescribing more difficult. I anticipate there will be alarm from parents and the child," said Goodman, who still backed the big step. "I think that's worth that complication, because it will raise the threshold to prescribing" these drugs to minors.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

The recomendations are sound ones. As shocking as the evidence is in regards to this issue, hopefully the FDA will be quick to impliment these reccomendations. The other is having the parents sign a form that goes over the risks and makes sure that they understand them. Depression is a crippling illness and parents should be fully informed of the risk / benifit ratio of any treatment proposed.

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Anti-depressants... your own experiences...
Zoloft and the supression of clinical trial data concerning adolescents and suicide

[edit on 9-14-2004 by Valhall]

Megalodon

posted on Sep, 14 2004 @ 10:48 PM

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Awesome news! I am tired of seeing people I know diagnosed with "illnesses" they do not really have and watching them slowly deteriorate before my eyes, hopefully this will allow more parents to educate themselves about the side-effects of these drugs. Great story Fred!

deevee

posted on Sep, 14 2004 @ 11:19 PM

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Perhaps the warnings should also recommend that the parents take a long hard look at their parenting before they drug their children for acting appropriately vis a vis said parenting.

FredT

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 12:34 AM

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Originally posted by deevee
Perhaps the warnings should also recommend that the parents take a long hard look at their parenting before they drug their children for acting appropriately vis a vis said parenting.

You are correct. Working in the pediatric field, I have to say pharmacuticals are a poor replacement for parenting. That being said, adolecent depression is a real ailment and can happen even with the best parenting.

victor was right

posted on Sep, 16 2004 @ 03:58 AM

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there are adults who, like predatory beasts, see a child in emotional anguish and then deliberately antagonize them just to provoke them further. just to feel superior.

i do not blame the pills or the [usually phony] mood disorder for the behavior of these kids, no; i blame the parents who are pushing their kids to the brink just to feel a sense of control.