ACNP: SSRI suicide risk in youths outweighed by benefits

A new report has stated that selective-5-HT-reuptake-inhibitors (SSRI) treatments increase suicidal tendencies in youths, but this is greatly outweighed by the benefits.

Current SSRIs on the market include Pfizer’s Zoloft (sertraline) Eli Lilly’s Prozac (fluoxetine), GlaxoSmithKline’s Paxil (paroxetine), and Forest & Lundbeck’s Cipramil/Celexa (citalopram).

The report by the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) looked at data from clinical trials of SSRIs and concluded they indicate a small increase in the risk of suicidal thinking or suicide attempts in youths under the age of 18.

However, the ACNP also stated that: “The benefits of treating youth with depression with one antidepressant medication outweigh the increase in risk of suicidal thoughts and nonfatal suicidal behavior.”

John Mann, lead author of the report said: “Given that untreated major depression is the main cause of suicide in children and adolescents, and that suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-to-24 year-olds, there is an urgent need for effective antidepressant treatments,

“Although many medications have been tested, only one has proven effective in testing done to date.”

According to the ACNP Task Force Report, fluoxetine (Prozac) is the only medication that has been presently documented to effectively treat depression in youth.

No other SSRI, non-SSRI new generation antidepressant, or tricyclic antidepressant has demonstrated efficacy according to the standard of the report.

“Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, are the major causes of suicide,” said Dr Mann.

“Our Task Force concluded that the benefits of treating this serious illness far exceed the risk associated with the use of fluoxetine.”

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