It looks like an increase in suicide rate particularly in teens may be in large part due to a decline in anti-depressant use. The press really hammered big pharma for reports of suicidal thoughts with these meds. No doubt, pharma was not totally forthcoming with these findings and deserved some rebuke… but this may turn out to be a good example of where media exploitation of a complex drug safety issue is having a serious downside for folks who could benefit from this class of meds.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/05/AR2007090502303.html?hpid=topnews
David Healy, a British psychiatrist who has been critical of the drugs, disagrees. He said that the increase in suicides was more likely caused by the growing use of antipsychotic drugs among children rather than a decline in antidepressant use. “I would be absolutely certain that the increase is not because kids are not being treated,” he said. “They may not be getting SSRIs, but they are getting psychotropics.”
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Interesting. The article note a one year rise in the youth suicide rate, but I don’t see what year or by what amount antidepressant use by youths decreased. Or, likewise, when and by how much psychotropic prescriptions to youths increased.
I don’t think that he was talking about prescription psychotropic drugs.
I blame gay marriage.
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