Medscape 10th Anniversary: 2004 Top Stories

Antidepressant Studies on Young People and Their Implications

In recent years, some — but not all — studies were indicating a higher risk for suicidal ideation in adolescents and children who took certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A 2004 JAMA study supported the negative findings, although the risk occurred only in the first few weeks of taking the antidepressants. Later in the year, a study in The Lancet added a new dimension to the controversy. It reported that analyzing published data suggested that SSRIs were safe and effective in young people. However, after adding data from unpublished studies, the risks then outweighed the benefits (except for fluoxetine). The implications of this study went far beyond antidepressants and has forced both the pharmaceutical industry and journal publishers to reexamine how drug studies are reported.

Jick H, Kaye JA, Jick SS. Antidepressants and the risk of suicidal behaviors. JAMA . 2004;292:338-343. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15265848 Accessed May 17, 2005.

Whittington CJ, Kendall T, Fonagy P, Cottrell D, Cotgrove A, Boddington E. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in childhood depression: systematic review of published versus unpublished data. Lancet . 2004;363:1341-1345. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15110490 Accessed May 17, 2005. What Medscape Is Saying Now

Title: Journal CME - From Current Opinion in Psychiatry : Are the SSRIs and Atypical Antidepressants Safe and Effective for Children and Adolescents? CME
URL:   http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/3813
Teaser: February 2005 - According to this meta-analysis, what are the only newer antidepressants that may be safe for youngsters?

Title: From American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy : Lesson from the Saga of Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors
URL:   http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/503568
Teaser: April 2005 - An editorial urging all health providers to start practicing evidence-based medicine when treating children.

Title: Medscape Medical News: Suicide Rates Have Decreased With Increased Use of SSRIs, New Generation Non-SSRIs
URL:   http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/498841
Teaser: February 2005 - The investigators in this analysis of CDC national vital statistics acknowledge that this type of data cannot demonstrate causal relationships.   Printer- Friendly Email This

Medscape Internal Medicine.  2005;7(1) ©2005 Medscape
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