1 in 3 antidepressants for children prescribed despite suicide warnings - Burstow

12.00.00am GMT Wed 8th Feb 2006

Figures released to Paul Burstow MP show doctors continuing to prescribe antidepressant medications to children and young people, despite warnings by the Committee for Safety on Medicines dating back to mid 2003 of an increased risk of suicide when prescribed to these age groups from.

Paul Burstow MP said:

"Despite warnings by experts that prescribing antidepressant medicines for children and young people can lead to an increased risk of suicide, these figures show doctors have carried on regardless.

"These figures should be ringing alarm bells in the Department of Health and calling into question the way in which advice on the safety of medicines is monitored."

"The fact that one out of every three drugs to children and young people are prescribed against the advice of the Committee on Safety on Medicines is very disturbing. NICE has made it clear that antidepressants should only be prescribed in cases of moderate to severe depression, and then only in conjunction with talking therapies. There is clearly a need for an urgent re-examination of prescribing practice to ensure that young people's lives are not being put at risk.

"The fact that this level of prescribing is occurring at all is your further evidence of the under investment in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and the chronic shortage of talking therapies. It is clear that this is not a priority for the Government, given the recent White Papers' focus on treatments for people of working age."

ENDS.