FDA finds antidepressants unsafe for children

This article is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from the Washington Post article "FDA Links Antidepressants, Youth Suicide Risk" by Shankar Vedantam.

An expert panel from the FDA concluded February 2 that popular antidepressant drugs, including Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, lead to a higher risk of suicide in children than placebos do, according to a story in the Washington Post printed February 3.

The announcement came after suspicions that antidepressant drugs may not be effective, and the unwillingness of such pharmaceutical companies to disclose the results of their clinical trials on depressed children. In December 2003, British officials discontinued the use of these drugs on children.

The FDA's results conflict with feelings of key U.S. phsyiatric officials, who defend the drugs' effectiveness. "Medications can be lifesaving," said David Fassler, a psychiatrist representing the American Psychiatric Association, to the Post.

According to FDA officials, the clinical studies from these pharmaceutical companies are difficult to compare because they each use different definitions of suicidal thought or action.

U.S. officials have requested an additional review of the data by Columbia University researchers prior to making any regulatory decisions. It is expected to conclude this summer.