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| Are teenagers on antidepressant at suicide risk? |
| By Fond Du Lac Reporter |
| Published: 04/26/2004 |
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Warnings of prescription antidepressant use, highlighting the possible side effect of worsening depression or notions of suicide, have targeted the nation's adolescent population. The Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory after public hearings, beginning in February, brought emotional testimony. Now the FDA is checking to make sure that children on antidepressants weren't more suicide-prone to start with than the placebo group, which mental health professionals say is the case. Dr. John Billinski, head of Behavioral Heath Services at St. Agnes Hospital and other mental health professionals are concerned that parents might panic after hearing conflicting stories about antidepressants and suddenly take their child off medication. "People die from untreated depression. That's the bottom line," he said. There are well over 1,200 possible medication combinations out there to treat depression, and not all of them use antidepressants. Some, if discontinued abruptly, can cause a reaction, or withdrawal-type of symptoms, he said. The key is the careful monitoring of patients who take medications that regulate serotonin or norepinephrine because these drugs can have serious side effects. About 70 percent of the medications are prescribed by general practice and family doctors, who need to be as stringent in patient follow-up as mental health professionals. Non-treatment sets up pathways of adaptive coping, using drugs or alcohol, Billinski said. |
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