Antidepressants for children
Depression affects 5% of the children and 10 to 20% of the teenagers. Unfortunately in spite of exhibiting typical symptoms most of the cases go unnoticed and untreated. Anti depressants offer an easy cure for depression in children and adolescents. But its extreme side effects have led to strong warnings against its usage. Antidepressants lead to suicidal tendencies. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the black box warning that is the warning is imprinted in a black box on the slip that comes with the drugs.
Such a strong warning need not create panic among parents. The strong warning is aimed as a precautionary move and not as a preventive move. FDA had conducted extensive analysis and its findings revealed that 4 out of 100 children who took the medication developed suicidal tendencies where as only 2% of the children who took placebo developed such tendencies. However, none of the child ever committed the act. Suicidal tendencies are the strongest during the early phase of the treatment. Even transition periods have to be watched out for, these are also danger zones.
Medication for the children
SSRIs are preferred compared to TCAs due to the lower side effects. TCAs are normally not given to children due to cardiac toxicity that has resulted in at least four sudden deaths.
Dosage of antidepressants for children
Children should be given the least requisite dosage of antidepressants. The least dosage apart from effectively curbing the symptoms also rules out the dangers of accidental overdose.
Effects of antidepressant on children
As already mentioned the warning was issued as a precautionary measure. This indicates that monitoring the child is important. It however does not mean that antidepressants should be avoided. Avoidance of antidepressants will prevent the child from emerging a mature adult capable of living life to the fullest.
Safety measures for the child on antidepressants
Parents, teachers and health care professionals should carefully monitor children on antidepressants.
The child should be monitored once a week during the first month.
Monitoring should be done once every two weeks the second month.
The next visit to the doctor should be scheduled after a treatment of three months.
These are rough guidelines and individual cases do vary.
Warning signals
As already mentioned children who are on anti depressants should be carefully monitored. If they talk too much, or if they talk or express thoughts about self harm and suicide or even if the child starts spending plenty of time alone a visit to the doctor is a must. At times the child may become extremely sad or violent and develop problems at school. These are again to be interpreted as warning signals.
In conclusion we can say that anti depressants are not the only available treatment for depression. Talk therapy, sports, psychotherapy are other ways in which depression can be combated. These measures can also be tried. Judgment should be based on the doctor’s opinion and the intensity of the problem.