In 2004, the FDA issued a "black box" warning on prescription antidepressants. The warning stated that certain antidepressant medications could increase suicidal tendencies in patients under 25 years of age. A recent study by the American Journal of Psychiatry has found that warning to be false.

"In a study of more than 100,000 patients treated for depression, suicide attempts declined during the first month of treatment - whether that treatment consisted of medication, psychotherapy, or both."

Dr. Greg Simon, MD, authored the study, which is the first of its kind to compare the risk of suicide before and after patients have begun treatment for depression. Read more at ScienceBlogs.com.

If your teenager has shown a persistent pattern of irritable, depressed, or hopeless behavior for more than two weeks, it may be due to clinical depression. Learn more about teen depression, including the signs of teen depression and treatment options for depressed teens at www.about-teen-depression.com.

Labels: antidepressants, depression, medictions