The Truth About Increases In Suicide

There is a lot of "noise" running in the press about how suicides have gone up since the black box warnings for antidepressants were issued. It is total B.S.

^{The CDC (Center for Disease Control) reports an increase in youth suicide from 2003 to 2004 and some "experts" are blaming this increase on the decline in antidepressant use among youth. However, the Black Box Warning on SSRI-Class psychiatric drugs was not approved until September 2004, didn't go into affect until Jan/Feb 2005.}

From Rosie Mysenberg (SSRI stories):

1) Across the country, the media are publishing an article concerning statistics on antidepressant use among youth in 2003 and 2004. They report a decrease in antidepressant use among youth and an increase in suicides. However, the report which came out from the American Psychiatric Association in 2004 reported an increase of 8% in antidepressant use among 19's and under. This statistic was for the first six months of 2004. [Note: the Black Box Warnings were not approved until September 2004]

2) Paragraph 11 reads: "In 2003, U.S. physicians wrote 15 million antidepressant prescriptions for patients under age 18, according to FDA data. In the first six months of 2004, antidepressant prescriptions for children increased by almost 8 percent, despite the new drug labeling." [Again, the Black Box Warnings were not approved until September 2004]

3) This is data from Medco Health Solutions, which manages pharmacy benefit programs. on 2005-2006. Notice the numbers.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20070517/prescription-drug-use-up-in-teen-girls

List of growth in prescription drug claims for 2001-2006 in girls and boys aged 10-19:

IT SHOWS ANTIDEPRESSANT RATES SINCE 2006 HAVE BEEN RISING NOT FALLING!

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs. Up nearly 74% for girls and 37% for boys
• Antidepressants. Up more than 9% in girls and less than 1% in boys
• Antipsychotics. Up more than 117% in girls and almost 71% in boys
• Sleep aids. Up more than 80% in girls and about 64% in boys