Reading your report “4000 kids under 10 on mood drugs” (3/12) was alarming for more than the fact that children under age five are being prescribed anti-depressant medications. The report included blanket concerns about doctors prescribing such medications to youngsters under 18. This blanket concern has dangerous ramifications. There is a vast difference between the mental health issues and medication response of a 5-year-old and a 15-year-old. Drug companies and drug administration authorities in Australia and elsewhere do convey blanket statements about the risks of anti-depressants for under 18s, but the scientific and clinical evidence clearly indicates that, for teenagers, using anti-depressants within straightforward prescribing and monitoring guidelines is effective and safe. If doctors avoid offering effective medications as an option to teenagers and their parents based solely on fears of media and community sentiment, we are committing a serious health injustice. Less-than-optimally treated depression and anxiety during the most formative years of a person’s life can have life-long damaging consequences. I agree that anti-depressant medications are not warranted for babies and kids under five, but this does not apply to teenagers. Naysun Saeedi; Child and adolescent psychiatrist; Cairns, Qld
See; http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24743413-23289,00.html