The following research investigated the use of antidepressants for children, focusing on the ethical dilemma involved, why antidepressants are widely prescribed, by whom, for what conditions, and what complications may arise from the use of antidepressants by children. The following questions guided the research. What are the ethical concerns? Why have prescriptions for antidepressants for children increased? What other treatments are available for childhood depression and other emotional problems and disorders? What are the complications that can arise from widespread use of antidepressants that have not undergone clinical trials? Advantages and disadvantages of antidepressants for children were discussed. Recommendations were made.
Several questions have emerged as a result of the growing number of antidepressants prescribed for children in recent years. For example, are medications over-prescribed because it is an easy method of handling childhood depression and other conditions such as ADHD (Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), and conduct disorder? Is the use of tricyclic and nontricylcic antidepressants by children and adolescents safe? If not, why are they so widely prescribed? Prescriptions for antidepressant medications tripled in the United States between 1988 and 1998. Up to 800,000 antidepressant prescriptions were written in 1997 for children, some of whom were only five years old (Kluger, 1998). Many of these children were also taking stimulants, such as Ritalin, because depression is often a byproduct of ADHD. As Kluger (1998) points out, though childhood depression is a unique form of this condition, there are some very real concerns emerging among medical professionals with respect to the overuse of antidepressants such as Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil. These concerns are both medical and ethical. The ethical problem is that medications may be overly prescribed, and prescribed without thorough analys...