Are antidepressants the driver behind
adolescent (teenaged) suicides? Both treatments for attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression have been the subject
of significant controversy. In recent news, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) issued warnings that Strattera, a newer treatment
for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may trigger
suicidal thoughts in teens. Clinical trials conducted on Strattera,
showed that five out 1,357 patients who took the ADHD drug experienced
suicidal thoughts compared to zero out of 857 who were administered
a placebo.
It is difficult to ascertain what transpires outside of the
confines of a tightly-controlled study. The risks of an adolescent
taking his or her life is any area of contention and grave concern.
Over the last five years, (2001-2006) suicides have accounted
for more than 35,000 American deaths. The vast majority of the
suicides were found in teenagers from the ages of 18 to 19.
The controversy of adolescent suicides and antidepressants
has been put into perspective by Dr. David Shaffer, a leading
expert on suicidal behavior, the director of child and adolescent
psychology at Columbia University. Review Dr. Shaffer’s findings
and facts regarding adolescents, antidepressants and suicide:
- Approximately, 20 percent of all high school-aged kids experience
suicidal thoughts.
- Over the last year, one in five American adolescents has
thought about suicide.
- Alcohol usage has a tendency of driving the suicide rate.
It is highly likely that antidepressants are reducing the risks
of suicide. Evidence proving that antidepressants are not the
significant cause of suicides is based on autopsy studies. Toxicology
analyses from youth suicides conducted New York and Salt Lake
City have not found traces of antidepressants, such as SSRIs
to be the leading cause of suicide.
