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Antidepressant side effects in children and adolescents
C Thomas Gualtieri1, Lyn G Johnson
1North Carolina Neuropsychiatry Clinics, Chapel Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina 27514, USA. T6@NCNEUROPSYCH.com
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
|March 24, 2006
Summary
Antidepressant treatment in children and adolescents can cause behavioral side effects, including suicidal ideation. These side effects were mild and manageable in a real-world clinical setting.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychiatry
- Pediatric Mental Health
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Concerns exist regarding antidepressant use in pediatric populations.
- Regulatory warnings have been issued based on clinical trial data.
- Clinical trial data may not reflect real-world treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate behavioral side effects of modern antidepressants in children and adolescents in a real-world clinical setting.
- To assess the manageability of antidepressant-associated side effects.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 128 children and adolescents treated with modern antidepressants over 14 months.
- Data collected from a neuropsychiatry clinic setting.
- Observation of behavioral side effects, including suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior.
Main Results:
- Behavioral side effects, such as suicidal ideation, were observed in some patients.
- Observed side effects were generally mild and non-lethal.
- 34 out of 36 patients with side effects were successfully managed with alternative antidepressants or dose adjustments.
Conclusions:
- Modern antidepressants can be associated with behavioral side effects in pediatric patients.
- These side effects are typically mild and manageable in a clinical setting.
- Dose adjustment or switching antidepressants can effectively manage adverse behavioral effects.
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