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.

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A controversial study in the Journal of the American Medical Association claims that popular drugs that are widely prescribed for depression only work in severe cases.

• Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania studied 728 adults after ranking their symptoms of depression.
  
• Those with moderate or minor depression receive little benefit from drugs like Lexapro, Prozac, or Paxil, which did not work better than sugar pills.
  
• However, those with severe depression, did benefit from the drugs.

"I think this study could dampen enthusiasm for anti-depression medications a bit , and that may be a good thing," said Dr. Erick Turner, a psychiatrist at Oregon Health and Science University. "People's expectations for the drugs will not be so high, and doctors won't be surprised if they are not curing every patient they see with medication."

Labels: antidepressants, depression, research

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If teenagers are admitted to a hospital psychiatric ward because of a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation, they are much less likely to be readmitted if his doctor prescribes antidepressant drugs.

• Dr. Cynthia Fonanella of Ohio State University studied 318 teenagers admitted to three Maryland hospitals because of suicide problems.
  
• One in four were prescribed three or more medications, and these teenagers were 2.6 times more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days.
  
• However, this group also had the most severe problems. The group prescribed antidepressants improved their chances of not being readmitted by 85 percent.

The use of antidepressant drugs in adolescence has been under fire ever since the Federal Food and Drug Administration put warning labels on these drugs. The labels said that using antidepressants could actually increase the possibility of a teenager committing suicide.

There has been an increase in teenage suicides since the warning labels went into place.

The study appeared in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Labels: antidepressants, suicide, medications

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The gold standard for treatment of depression is psychotherapy along with drugs.

However, a new study from Thomson Reuters research service finds that half of the American children and teenagers who are taking antidepressants are not in psychotherapy.

The Thomson group analyzed insurance claims that were filed between 2002 and 2006 from a database of 6.8 million people under age 18. They found that of those who made at least one insurance claim for an antidepressant prescription, only 40 percent had also made claims for one or more therapy sessions. The researchers acknowledged that some parents may be paying for therapy out-of-pocket, and some insurance policies do not cover psychotherapy.

"Therapy with antidepressants is the standard of care," said Dr. Sheila Marcus, child and adolescent psychiatry chief at the University of Michigan Medical School. "But is this what's going on in the real world? No."

The Thomson study comes during a congressional investigation into relationships between influential academicians and drug companies. The inquiry has found that some leading researchers at prestigious universities, including Harvard and Stanford, have conflicts of interest - they are performing studies that determine whether drugs are effective, while at the same time receiving large sums of money from drug companies.

For example, the congressional committee recently reviewed the case of Dr. Charles Nemeroff, who failed to report $1.2 million in income to his employer, Emory University, between 2000 and 2007. Dr. Nemeroff received more than $170,000 from GlaxoSmithKline in 2004, even though he agreed to take no more than $10,000 a year from that company in one year.

"After questioning twenty doctors and research institutions, it looks like problems with transparency are everywhere," Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) said. "The current system for tracking financial relationships is not working."

Labels: antidepressants, medications, therapy

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A study from the Center for Disease Control indicates that more teenagers, especially girls, are committing suicide.

The suicide rate among children and teenagers increased by 8% in 2004, the largest increase in fifteen years. Between 1990 and 2003, there was actually a 28% decline in rates.

The percentage of young girls taking their own lives increased the most. Among girls ages 10 to 14 years, the rate increased from 0.54 per 100,000 to 0.95 per 100,000. Among girls ages 15 to 19 years, the rate jumped from 2.66 to 3.52 per 100,000. Among boys ages 15 to 19 years, the rate increased 11.61 to 12.65 per 100,000.

Many experts were predicting an increase in teenage suicides because of black box warnings on antidepressant drugs. The increased rate of suicide coincides with the Food and Drug Administration's requirement that antidepressant prescription labels carry a warning that using the drugs can increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behaviors. Antidepressant prescriptions for patients under age 18 years fell by 10% in 2004.

Labels: antidepressants, suicide, medictions

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Teens that injure themselves, take life-endangering risks, or have explosive personalities are more likely to commit suicide, two psychiatrists warn parents.

Speaking at a conference on suicide this week, Dr. Barbara Stanley said that self-mutilation in any form can be a warning sign, whether it's a girl burning herself with a cigarette or a boy who carves a friend's initials in his arm.

"Once you start to hurt yourself," she said, "it is a closer step to do the next type of hurting."

She said that recklessness, such as walking on a steep rooftop, also could be a sign of suicide ideation.

Dr. Eric Fombonne, director of the McGill University Department of Psychiatry, said teens that are "easily irritated and explosive" need to be monitored, too.

Teen suicides are increasing, especially among girls aged 10 to 14 years old. Girls attempt suicide two to four times more often than boys; however, boys complete suicides five times as often as girls. Suicide attempts peak between 16 and 18 years old.

Labels: antidepressants, suicide, depression

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A study conducted through the University of Hull in the United Kingdom has found that anti-depression medication may only benefit people who are severely depressed and not people who have moderate to mild depression.

"The finding 'means that depressed people can improve without chemical treatments,' lead author Irving Kirsch said in a statement."

While that may be true, Kirsch and others warned that no one should suddenly stop taking a prescription medication. People who are mildly or moderately depressed should talk with their doctor about alternative treatment possibilities such as psychotherapy. Source: Canada.com.

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Gene tests may determine which patients develop suicidal thoughts after taking anti-depressant medicines, according to a new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health found that two genetic markers increased a person's chance of developing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the first weeks of taking anti-depressant medications.

"In the future we may have the opportunity to use genomic tests to guide personalized care for depression," said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health.

Teen suicide is a real and scary issue. Learn more from this article at BoardingSchoolsInfo.com.

Labels: antidepressants, genetics, medictions

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Putting warning labels on anti-depressants may put more teenagers at risk for suicide, according to a new study by the University of South Florida and University of Illinois.

Professors Hendricks Brown and Robert Gibbons studied depressed teenagers who were taking different classes of medicines and those who were not taking any drugs. They also looked at the medical records of teenagers who had successfully committed suicide. They found that when a teenager began a drug regime, he or she had fewer attempts at suicide. They also found that very few of those who had successfully killed themselves were taking antidepressants at the time of their deaths.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers. Last week the Center for Disease Control announced a spike in the number of teen suicides, particularly among girls.

Dr. Brown believes the increase in suicide may be related to warning labels newly mandated by the Federal Drug Administration. The labels warn that taking certain antidepressants may cause an increase in suicide ideation among young people.

"With the FDA warnings, there has been a rapid lowering of antidepressant prescriptions and a corresponding increase in youth suicides," he wrote. "We found similar results in the Netherlands once the warning was broadcast there as well."

This study appears in the September 2007 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

If you're worried your child is thinking about suicide, then an adolescent residential treatment center that offers programs for troubled teens may help.

Labels: antidepressants, suicide, medictions

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In 2004, research on the dangers of antidepressant medication caused the FDA to issue black box warning. The warning stated that "antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in children and adolescents..."

"The result was a decrease in the prescription of antidepressants to teens by over 50%, and an increase in suicides."

The 18% increase in teen suicides has causes many to question whether the FDA acted prematurely in issuing the black box warning. Some are now calling for the warning to be repealed. Experts urge parents to seek medical treatment for their teen if he or she is extremely depressed and/or at risk of attempting suicide. Read more at MovingOutMovingOn.BlogHi.com.

Worried that your teen is suffering from depression? Learn about the diagnostic services available at The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment and get your child help today.

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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

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