4 Troubled Teens Blog

A study out of British Columbia has found that there is equal risk for suicide among all teen users of antidepressants. The study results confirm the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's current requirement that all antidepressants include a "black box" warning on antidepressant medication regarding suicide risks.

The study followed 20,906 children in British Columbia between the ages of 10 and 18 who had been diagnosed with depression and prescribed an antidepressant over a nine-year period.

During the first year of antidepressant use, there were 266 attempted suicides and three suicides. Researchers found no significant difference in child and teen suicide risk among the five SSRI antidepressants studied. [Source: WebMD]

SSRI, which stands for "selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor," refers to the specific brain/chemical function targeted by these antidepressants.

Labels: antidepressants, suicide

Posted By: Aspen/CRC