Are Antidepressants Safe for Teens?

The question is relatively recent, says child-adolescent psychiatrist John Campion, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Nearly all research into drug safety and effectiveness has been done on adults,” he says. Based on newer studies, the FDA has approved Prozac for clinically depressed young people as being safe and effective. But there have been troubling questions about whether antidepressants raise the risk for suicide.

“None of the 4,000 young people in the various studies actually committed suicide,” Campion says. “There was an increase in suicidal thinking or minor self-destructive acts. And the increase, though real, was very small—for example, 3 percent of those on the drug versus 1 percent on a placebo.”

For many young patients, antidepressants can be very helpful, especially combined with talk therapy. “This is not a ‘happy pill’ you take to feel good,” Campion says. “An antidepressant makes you feel less bad. Then, you can start working on therapy and learn how to feel good again.”

Meanwhile, he says, youngsters on Prozac should be closely observed, especially at first. One theory behind the rise in suicidal thoughts is that the drug makes them feel well enough to consider acting on their impulses. Over time in therapy, those destructive impulses give way to a more hopeful outlook.

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