Association Between Antidepressant Use and the Risk of Suicide in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

In recent years, the prescription of antidepressants for children has come under serious scrutiny, as some studies have shown an increased risk of suicide among those treated in this way. The main aim of this study is to investigate the causal relationship between antidepressant use and suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents. We reviewed the literature on the Google Scholar, pubmed, science direct database. The data in the literature were contradictory; while it has now been demonstrated that SSRIs very moderately increase the risk of suicide ideation and attempts, with venlafaxine, paroxetine and sertraline in particular showing a higher risk than other SSRIs such as fluoxetine and citalopram, several studies show that their use is associated with a significant reduction in suicide rates in children and adolescents. There is currently no certainty of a causal relationship between antidepressants and suicidality in children and adolescents, so the mechanisms are still poorly understood.