Antidepressants and Youth: Healing or Harmful?
- Presenter:
Chair: David Cutler; Discussant: Judy Shinogle Mon June 5, 2006 10:45-12:15 Room 313
Since 1987 some important changes have taken place in the development of antidepressants, including the introduction of several selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other new medications that reduce the likelihood of overdose and offer fewer negative side effects. There has been a tremendous growth in the use of the new antidepressants, and while these new drugs are safe and effective for treating adults with depression, there is growing concern about the risks of prescribing antidepressants to children. Recent reports link the use of antidepressant drugs to an increased risk of suicidal behaviors in teenagers. In the fall of 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made a controversial decision directing manufacturers of antidepressant drugs to include warning labels about the increased risk of suicidal thinking and behavior. This paper seeks to examine the relationship between antidepressants and suicide among youth. They main hypothesis to be tested is whether variations in the number of prescriptions written for antidepressants can explain differences in completed and attempted suicide rates at the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) level. Information on prescriptions will be obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. This individual level data will be aggregated to the MSA level in order to make inferences about the trends in prescription practices. Linear regression techniques will be used to correlate the prescription data with attempted and completed suicide rates among youth under the age of 19. A host of state and area level factors will be included in order to account for potentially confounding effects of other variables. Results from this paper will contribute to the academic debate on the harmfulness of prescribing antidepressants to youth.
