Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and acts among children and adolescents, according to US researchers who reviewed dozens of recent studies on nine recent antidepressants, most of which belong to the serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class.
Analyses by the US Food and Drug Administration show that the risk of suicidal behaviour increases in 2-3 per 100 young patients treated with antidepressants.
Millions of children are treated with various antidepressants, although, as the researchers point out, only Prozac has been approved for the treatment of depression in children and adolescents.