Majority of antidepressants may be unsafe for children

"The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenagers with major depression, experts have warned."

"In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo..."

"The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, warns that antidepressants do not appear to offer a clear advantage in treating children and teenagers – and could change doctors’ approach towards prescribing treatments."

"`Major depressive disorder is quite prevalent in children and teenagers,` said University of Oxford researcher Dr Andrea Cipriani, who led the report."

"Not only are these cases extremely underdiagnosed and under-treated, but the condition tends to present itself in a different way in children."

"Depressive symptoms in children and adolescents are rather undifferentiated; you’ll notice more irritability, aggressive behaviour and problems in school – so the consequences of depressive episodes of children can be dramatic, increasing risk of suicidal ideas and attempts."

"We recommend that children and adolescents taking antidepressants should be monitored closely, regardless of the antidepressant chosen, particularly at the beginning of treatment," said Professor Peng Xie, who co-authored the report."

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/depression-antidepressants-children-ineffective-suicide-a7071051.html