Emergency Department Visits for Drug-Related Suicide Attempts Involving Antidepressants by Adolescents and Young Adults: 2004 to 2008

摘要

Antidepressants commonly are prescribed by health care professionals to treat symptoms of depression. In the 1990s, health practitioners increasingly prescribed antidepressants, and many newer formulations were determined to be safe for use by children and adolescents. In fact, research has shown that suicide rates for youths have been decreasing, and some scientists have credited the widespread use of antidepressants for this decline. However, in the past decade, concerns about the safety of antidepressants prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to provide a warning label about the increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behavior among patients younger than 25. Because suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults, a high-profile debate on the risks and benefits of antidepressant use in this population soon followed. However, suicides are difficult to study, and many clinical trials have been inconclusive.