Posted by Larry Hoover on February 6, 2007, at 9:02:00
In reply to Disturbing results, posted by Squiggles on February 6, 2007, at 6:54:29
> The FDA has just announced a large increase
> in child and adolescent suicide rates within a year, following the Black Box Warning on Antidepressants, and consequent decrease in antidepressant treatment. I saw the article in a Yahoo group (psychiatry-research) but the copyright of American Press prohibits redistribution.
>
> SquigglesNo, the FDA did not announce any such increase. The statistic was buried in a raft of other stats released by the CDC (Centres for Disease Control, or something like that; http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/119/2/345). The article referenced on that Yahoo group was in the lay press (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16996417/wid/11915773?GT1=9033), and includes speculative commentary about the coincidence between the FDA-mandated black box warnings and the statistical increase in adolescent suicides. Two events occurring at the same time may have no link whatsoever, although a correlation might be very tempting, or even reasonable. I agree, the correlation seems reasonable, but I can conclude only that this is further evidence that adolescent depression requires far more supportive intervention than is currently made available.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:730277
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070201/msgs/730301.html