January 13, 2003 – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved prescription Prozac for children ages 7 to 17 to treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is the first drug approved in the United States to treat depression in young people. This approval is based on two conclusive studies that tested the drug in depressed children and adolescents.
The side effects associated with Prozac in 7 to 17 year olds are similar to those seen in adults: nausea, drowsiness, nervousness, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. In a clinical trial, the FDA also noted that children treated with Prozac for 19 weeks experienced growth retardation (weight and height) compared to a control group. The Agency admits to ignoring the consequences of these long-term results.
According to National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression affects more than 2.5% of American children and 8.3% of adolescents. Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects about 2% of children and adolescents. These mental disorders are also present in young Quebecers in similar proportions.
How can children and adolescents fall into a state of depression like this? According to NIMH, the main risk factor is a family history of depression. The other factors are stress, smoking, loss of a parent or loved one, romantic break-up, learning difficulties, chronic illness, abuse or neglect.
The approval of Prozac by the FDA reopens the debate on the (increasing) consumption of drugs (Prozac, Ritalin, etc.) by young people and, in general, “over-medication”. However, according to Dr. Paul Lépine, collaborator at the PasseportSanté.net Clinic, we cannot “afford the luxury of principles” and be against the use of antidepressants in 7-17 year olds when we have, in Quebec, the highest youth suicide rate in Canada and one of the highest in the world. “Depression in young people is just as much an illness as it is in adults and can have developmental repercussions,” he says.
However, continues Dr. Lépine, parents have an important preventive role to play in preventing depression in their offspring. According to him, parents must ensure the happiness of their children by being authentic with them and by expressing their feelings to them frankly. Physical activity and the intake of essential fatty acids in the diet can also help prevent depression, adds Dr. Lépine.
Stéphane Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuters Health, January 3, 2003.
