Psychiatria pre prax 2/2005

BENEFIT AND RISKS OF ANTIDEPRESSANT TREATMENT IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

In theory, agitation and nervousness that occur in some children treated SSRIs might increase their risk of suicidal behavior, self- -injury or of harming others. On the other hand, no evidence has shown that increased agitation with SSRIs is synonymus with suicidal behavior, and no suicides have occured in more than 4 000 children and adolescents studied in SSRI clinical trials.

Keywords: SSRI, children, risk, suicidal behavior.