Preliminary results of the study, financed by the American National Institute of Mental Health, are sure to fuel the growing debate over whether Prozac and similar medications may trigger suicidal tendencies in some younger users.

Advertisement

Prozac is the only drug in its class to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treating childhood depression. It belongs to a group of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Recent link to suicidal behaviour
Recent studies have indicated that these drugs may lead to suicidal behaviour in teenagers, and the FDA recently advised doctors to carefully monitor younger patients who begin these drugs or change doses.

The new government study may make psychiatrists, paediatricians and the millions of families with youngsters who take these medicines rest a bit easier, the newspaper speculates.

The researchers found that talk therapy by itself was no more effective than a non-medicinal placebo in combating childhood depression. Use of Prozac led to far better results, and a combination of the medication and talk therapy produced the best results of all, the Times reported.

The research study
The 36-week study involved 439 people ages 12 to 17 who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe depression. While the authors calculated an increased risk of suicide among a small number of Prozac users, lead investigator Dr John March said the medication's benefits far outweighed its risks, the newspaper reported. March is a professor of psychiatry at Duke University.

"Although each death is a tragedy, the number of people who have benefited from these medications is significantly greater than the number who have been harmed by them," Dr Marvin Lipkowitz, chair of psychiatry at Maimonides Medical Center in New York City, told HealthDay. – (HealthDayNews)

Read more:
Mind Zone
Depression Centre

 

Print this article on

Rate this article Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent

JOBS

Senior Secretary Gauteng - North/Sandton Infrastructure Resource Gauteng - Johannesburg Management Accountant R450,000-500,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial Manager R350,000-400,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial and Project Accountant R300,000-360,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg Financial Accountant R380,000-420,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - Johannesburg SSIS Business Intelligence Specialists (SSIS; SSAS) R350,000-500,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - North/Sandton Financial Accountant R350,000-450,000 Per Annum Cost To Company Gauteng - South Find more jobs Register your CV Post a job