Treatment Online

Depression Treatment in Adolescents
> 12/1/2005 9:53:48 AM

A study out of Stanford looks at the potential misuse of antidepressants in the treatment of adolescent sufferers of depression. This comes on the heals of a 2004 FDA report that some antidepressants actually increased the chance of suicide in adolescents.

What the study found was that many times clinical guidelines were ignored that called for psychotherapy to be used in conjunction with antidepressants. Researchers also discovered that, while only one SSRI, fluoxetine or Prozac, has been proven safe in children, many doctors are prescribing others off-label.

"We're not saying that doctors should avoid prescribing antidepressants for kids, but we are pointing out the potential for inappropriate use of antidepressants," said Jun Ma, MD, PhD.

He also added: "If used as part of a comprehensive treatment regimen, antidepressants are of great benefit to individual patients and to the society as a whole."

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