Antidepressants raise suicide risk in young people

By David Liu (davidl@foodconsumer.org)

People under age 25 may be better off avoiding use of antidepressants as a new review study released on Tuesday found that these drugs raise risk of suicide in this age group, Reuters reported.

The study led by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration researchers also showed that antidepressants do not seem to raise the risk in older adults.

The FDA in Feb 2005 requested that a so-called black box warning - the strongest warning sign - be placed on the label of antidepressants indicated to treat young children and teens because of the increased risk of suicide.  In 2007, the warning was extended to adults aged between 18 and 24.

The U.S. and European governments became aware of the increased risk of suicide in 2003 when clinical trials showed antidepressants raised the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults under age 18.

Many psychiatrists have already criticized the FDA warnings because they reduce sales of antidepressants and affect treatment for depression which according to Reuters is the leading cause of suicide.  Some studies claimed that after the warnings the suicide rate among youth and teens was raised by 8 percent in 2004.

One study published in June 2009 in the Archives of General Psychiatry claimed that the black box warnings led to a lasting decline in depression diagnosis and treatment, and the researchers urged the FDA to revise its policy.

The current review by Marc Stone, Thomas Laughren and colleagues analyzed data from eight drug makers on 372 clinical trials of nearly 100,000 adults.

The researchers found antidepressants increased risk of suicide in people under age 25 but reduced the risk in adults aged 65 or older.

The study was published in the British Medical Journal website, Reuters reported.  John Geddes from the Oxford University and colleagues were cited as saying in a commentary not all antidepressants have the same effect on risk of suicide.

Pfizer's Zoloft seems to cut the suicide risk by half while Celexa and Lexapro made by Forest Laboratories seem to increase the risk of suicidal events.

Diet or nutrition deficiency is believed to have something to do with depression, which is temporary and insignificant although the World Health Organization categorizes depression as the "No 1 cause of disability in the US and the third biggest biggest behind heart disease and strokes in Europe, according to a report by Kat Fallon published on the Serendip website.

Some nutrients have been linked to the status of mood.  Tryptophan, an amino acid, is a known precursor for the production of seratonin, which is found deficient in people who are depressed, particularly those with suicidal behaviors.

Fatty acids like Omega-3 fatty acids are also considered necessary to healthy mental functioning.  These fatty acids are present in the cell membranes and alterations in membrane fluidity affect behavior, mood and mental function, early studies have found.