New FDA Study Confirms Antidepressants (SSRIs) Increase Suicide Risks in Children & Young Adults

A study issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday of this week confirms that people under age 25 who take antidepressants are at a greater risk of suicidal thoughts and tendencies than older adults taking the same medication. The antidepressant drugs specifically addressed were those generally referred to as SSRIs and SNRI’s which include medications such as Prozac, Paxil, Effexor and Zoloft. This study was not a shocking result, but did confirm the validity of the “black box” warning the FDA required on these types of drugs addressing the increased risk of suicidal thoughts and tendencies in individuals below the age of 25 taking this kind of medication.
The article explains that many psychiatrists have complained about the warnings indicating that it has scared people away from using these type of medications. In fact there had been encouragement in the psychiatric community to do away with the warnings the FDA has imposed on these types of drugs based on the significant decline in people seeking treatment for depression. However, this recent study by the FDA, which looked at 372 clinical trials from eight different drug makers involving over 100,000 individuals, confirmed the increase risk of suicide in those under 25 taking these type of medications.
I have handled several cases over the years involving suicides of young people who committed suicide shortly after beginning a course of treatment with a SSRI antidepressant. Before the black box warnings were imposed by the FDA in 2005, primary care physicians were prescribing this type of medication to children and young adults going through what can only be described as “teenage angst”. There typically was no diagnosis of depression, much less any formal testing to address whether the young adult or child was indeed depressed. Several weeks later, these young, vibrant souls, with many promising years ahead, were found dead as a result of self inflicted injury. In my view, the significant warnings on these medications were justified and necessary and if it has changed the prescribing habits of primary care physicians as it relates to young adults, then it has had its intended results and more importantly, saved the lives of many children and young adults who essentially were told to pop a pill and they will feel all better.