Antidepressant Suicide Risk for Youths Questioned By Study

Researchers from Chicago indicate that neither Prozac or Effexor appear to raise the suicide risk for youths, despite a black box warnings carried by the widely used antidepressants. 

According to a study published online by the Archives of General Psychiatry, no link was found between the use of Prozac and Effexor to treat depression in minors and an increased risk of suicide.

The findings raise concerns about whether caregivers of youths who could benefit from antidepressant treatments may be scared away from the drugs by the black box warning.

Researchers looked at 41 different clinical trials involving 9,000 adults and youths. They found no association between suicidal behavior and Prozac or Effexor use. Although the study was restricted mainly to the two drugs, some experts believe the findings could apply to other related antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).

In 2004, the FDA placed a “black box warning” on Prozac and other SSRI antidepressants, indicating that the drugs have been linked to an increased risk of suicide for children and young adults under the age of 25. The warning was based on the findings of 25 previous clinical trials that led to the conclusion.

The latest study relied on published clinical trials, data from clinical trials that were unpublished, as well as data from drug makers and a study of Prozac and Effexor conducted by the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The NIMH study determined that the use of Prozac and Effexor together actually decreased the risk of suicide and depression in adults and seniors.

SSRIs are a relatively new class of antidepressants, which help reduce symptoms of depression by preventing certain nerve cells in the brain from re-absorbing the chemical serotonin. These drugs are commonly used by millions of Americans with depression.

Although the drugs have been found to cause fewer side effects than older anti-depressants, previous studies have shown that users of the drugs could also face an increased risk of suicides, and use during pregnancy has been linked to a risk of birth defects from SSRI antidepressants.