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eLearning Series: Mental Illness
Explain Mental Illnesses To Me
Anti-Depressants:
Effective for Young Children?
With the recent controversy involving anti-depressants
and their safety, the issue of prescribing anti-depressant
drugs for young children is more controversial than ever. But
are anti-depressants effective for young children? More importantly,
are they safe? The truth of matter is that we have yet to know
the true efficacy and safety of these drugs. Until we know
for certain the long-term effects of prescribing anti-depressant
drugs to young children, most experts recommend that children
should not take such drugs.
The Growing Problem of Depression among Children and Young
Adults
Unfortunately, depression among children and young adults
appears to be growing. It is a serious problem that doctors
and psychiatrists are clamoring to solve, but one with very
few easy solutions. Research indicates that roughly 6% of all
children and adolescents suffer from some type of childhood
depressive disorder. For adolescent age children, the statistics
grow even dimmer. For children age 10 to 19, suicide is a prescient
threat. In fact, the third biggest cause of death for this
age group is suicide.
What We Know About Popular Anti-Depressants
The most popular class of drugs used to treat childhood depressive
disorders is those known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,
or SSRI's. SSRI's are considered to be the best defense against
childhood depressive disorders. In published studies, SSRI's
like the popular drugs Paxil and Prozac were found to be a
little more effective than a placebo. How do these SSRI drugs
function? Much of their action still remains unknown, although
we do know that SSRI's function by increasing the level of
serotonin in the body. As newer studies suggest, they may also
be responsible for stimulating the development of new brain
cells in the hippocampus area of the brain.
The Controversy of Anti-Depressants and Its Use for Children
Unfortunately, the safety and efficacy of prescribing anti-depressants
to children is mired in much controversy. Much of the controversy
stems from conflicting medical research. Although some published
reports do indicate that SSRI's can be at least moderately
effective, and another study indicated that certain anti-depressants
can actually increase the amount and level of suicidal thinking
in its users. The latter study found that Paxil could actually
increase the amount of suicidal thinking in a child. Since
the publication of this study, the FDA has declared it unsafe
for children less than 18 years of age. Although it has not
been restricted to adults, another popular SSRI drug has also
come under scrutiny. Prozac, the vanguard of the anti-depressant
drugs that grew in popularity during the 1990s, has long been
suspected of also increasing suicidal thinking in its users.
There is also much controversy that questions the ethics and
openness of the drug manufacturers. The pharmaceutical industry
has been criticized for its refusal to make unpublished data
available to medical investigators. It is now known that clinical
trials of popular anti-depressant drugs have been withheld
from the medical investigators, government agencies, and the
public at large. Some argue that this lack of openness and
cooperation has led to anti-depressants being wrongly recommended
to treat childhood depressive disorders. Some have also argued
that the pharmaceutical companies need greater regulation in
order to make all unpublished data available.
More controversy surrounds the safety of prescribing anti-depressants
to young children, whose bodies are still developing at a rapid
speed. The study that indicated that anti-depressants may stimulate
increased growth in brain cells points to a larger controversy:
we don’t yet know the full effects or consequences of anti-depressant
drugs on a the growing mind and body of a child. Some scientists
also caution against the use of SSRI's on young children because
we don't know the full effect extra serotonin on the heart
and body. Also, some studies indicate that anti-depressants
may be too harsh for the growing body of a child. In one Zoloft
study, several young people had to drop out due to the side
effects of the drug. Some of these side effects include nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and even symptoms of the eating disorder
anorexia were noted.
The Conclusion: To Prescribe or Not?
With the number of controversies still surrounding the use
of anti-depressant drugs on young children, it seems safe to
conclude that young children should not be prescribed anti-depressants.
The exclusion to this rule are children who are severely depressed,
but they must be closely monitored for any adverse effects.
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
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