FDA label rule criticized; Experts suggest link between warnings, deaths

From the Chicago Tribune, Forbes and elsewhere

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control finds teen suicides up sharply after years of declines, leading to criticism of government warnings on anti-depressants that have led doctors to write fewer prescriptions for young people.

Overall, the youth suicide rate rose 8 percent from 2003 and 2004, and spiked much higher among some groups. Between 2003 and 2004, there was a 75.9 percent increase in the suicide rate among 10- to 14-year-old girls, a 32.3 percent increase among 15- to 19-year-old girls, and a 9 percent increase among 15- to 19-year-old boys. Over the previous 14 years, suicide rates had fallen 28.5 percent overall within the age group.

A CDC official characterized the report as “sobering” and said that suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 24, surpassed only by car crashes and homicides. Experts urged the that the FDA re-evaluate its warnings on anti-depressants in the light of the new data.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 7th, 2007 at 12:59 pm and is filed under depression, mental health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post