Family Anatomy » anti-depressants

Anti-Depressant Prescriptions Down for Kids/Teens

Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych. — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:00:27 +0000

Researchers Supriya Bhatia and Christopher Kratochvil, M.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center have found a significant decrease in the number of prescriptions given out by physicians after a “black box” warning was imposed by the FDA on antidepressant medication for children and teens. The 2008 research surveyed physicians in Nebraska. The “black box” warning came in 2004, after evidence surfaced that kids taking anti-depressants were experiencing increased levels of suicidal thinking and behaviour. The warning was meant to alert physicians to be careful in weighing the costs and benefits of prescribing anti-depressants to kids and to emphasizing the importance of monitoring kids on these meds. The results of the research validate the importance of government oversight and the practical impact “black box” warnings can have. It is also significant to note that, for some kids and teens who may already have suicidal inclinations, anti-depressant medications, ironically, can exacerbate this.

You can read the more here and here.

What is your experience with anti-depressant medication? Let us know what you think – leave a comment!

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Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for information only. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor.

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© Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych. for Family Anatomy, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-depressants, Children, Teens
Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for education only, and are not intended to replace professional or medical advice. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor.

Do Anti-Depressants Work?

Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych. — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:17:42 +0000

This year has been particularly difficult for the makers of anti-depressant medications as studies questioning the effectiveness and validity of research into SSRI’s has come into question.

In January of this year, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing that research pointing to the ineffectiveness of anti-depression medication is either never published or given a positive spin.

A month later, researchers from the United Kingdom and the U.S., reviewed the data from the original trials of SSRI’s such as Prozac and Paxil. They obtained unpublished Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data by using the Freedom of Information Act. They found that when unpublished clinical trials were considered along with published clinical trials, the effectiveness of these medications was not significantly better than a placebo or sugar pill.

Sales¬† of anti-depressant medication in the U.S. is big business. In 2007, sales totaled $11.9 billion.

You can read more here and here .

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© Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych. for Family Anatomy, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-depressants, medication, Mental Health, pharmaceuticals
Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for education only, and are not intended to replace professional or medical advice. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor.

Antidepressants without therapy

Dr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych. — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 13:21:53 +0000

A recent report by the research firm Thomson Reuters suggests that at least half of children and adolescents who are prescribed antidepressants are not receiving other forms of therapy. Researchers examined 6.8 million insurance claims for antidepressant medication, and found that only about 40% of those also submitted claims for other forms of therapy. Although it’s difficult to make firm conclusions about the treatment being received by examining insurance claims, since families might pay out-of-pocket or might not have coverage for psychotherapy, the findings concerned the researchers. Other recent research has indicated that the fastest recovery for depressed kids occurs with a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy.

You can read more here.

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© Dr. Brian MacDonald C. Psych. for Family Anatomy, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-depressants, depression, Teens, therapy
Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for education only, and are not intended to replace professional or medical advice. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor.

Exercise Instead of Prozac

Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych. — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:26:40 +0000

A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine, which reviewed both unpublished and published studies submitted to the FDA, found that, when the unpublished trials were included, antidepressants were not nearly as effective as they’ve been thought to be. A second study that appeared in February in PLoS Medicine, the online journal, reviewed similar data and found that antidepressants were no better than placebos for mild to moderate depression and only slightly more effective for severe depression.

Psychiatrist James Gordon, founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C., says there’s a better way to treat depression‚ through diet, exercise and meditation.

Research suggests that it may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of activity‚ as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time‚ can improve mood in the short term.

You can read more here and here.

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Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for education only. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor.

© Dr. Giuseppe Spezzano C. Psych. for Family Anatomy, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-depressants, depression, exercise
Note: Posts on Family Anatomy are for education only, and are not intended to replace professional or medical advice. If you need to talk to someone about family or mental health issues, you can get a referral from your family doctor.