Depression Health Center

Study: Child Antidepressant Use Down

18% Rise in Suicides

Just two months ago, the CDC reported that suicide rates among children and teens rose by more than 18% during 2004.

David Shern, PhD, president of the patient advocacy group Mental Health America, tells WebMD that the 2004 FDA hearings did not include enough discussion about the dangers of failing to prescribe antidepressants to depressed children and adolescents.

Now we see an increase in suicides following years of declines,” he says. “We are not in the position to draw causal inferences, but this gives us good reason to pause and be concerned.”