Happy News About Antidepressants

Turns out anti-depressants may not be so bad for children and teens after all. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that those ominous Black Box warnings indicating a strong suicide risk for youngsters are overstating the case and should be toned down.

Concludes the study: "Relative to placebo, antidepressants are efficacious for pediatric MDD [major depressive disorder], OCD [obsessive-compulsive disorder], and non-OCD anxiety disorders, although the effects are strongest in non-OCD anxiety disorders, intermediate in OCD, and more modest in MDD. Benefits of antidepressants appear to be much greater than risks from suicidal ideation/suicide attempt across indications, although comparison of benefit to risk varies as a function of indication, age, chronicity, and study conditions."

According to a Reuters report, the researchers are expressing concern that the stern warnings applied by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may discourage doctors from prescribing drugs like Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac for young patients, and cause parents and patients undue concern. The FDA counters that warnings are just warnings, and doctors and patients are free to go ahead and use the meds anyway.

For now, anyway, the Black Box will stay, but the black cloud may be lifting.

If you're weighing the risks and benefits of any sort of psychiatric medications for your child, these books reviewed in the Harried Parent's Book Club may help:

• Your Child in the Balance
• Should I Medicate My Child?
• 101 Reasons to Avoid Ritalin Like the Plague

Is your child on antidepressants? Do you agree with the researchers that the benefits outweigh the risks? Share your experience in the comments.