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Antidepressants and suicide risk in children and adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

S. Riam ,
N. Baabouchi ,
H. kisra  and
F. laajili
S. Riam*
Affiliation:
Arrazi University Psychiatric Hospital, Rabat Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy Mohammed V University, RABAT, Morocco
N. Baabouchi
Affiliation:
Arrazi University Psychiatric Hospital, Rabat Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy Mohammed V University, RABAT, Morocco
H. kisra
Affiliation:
Arrazi University Psychiatric Hospital, Rabat Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy Mohammed V University, RABAT, Morocco
F. laajili
Affiliation:
Arrazi University Psychiatric Hospital, Rabat Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy Mohammed V University, RABAT, Morocco
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

In recent years, the prescription of antidepressants for children has faced significant scrutiny due to studies suggesting an elevated risk of suicide among those treated with these medications. The primary objective of this study is to examine the causal connection between antidepressant use and suicidal behavior in children and adolescents.

Objectives

In this article, we will examine the current research on this topic and discuss the current status of practical guidelines and recommendations for prescribing antidepressants to children and adolescents.

Methods

We conducted a literature review using the Google Scholar database, employing keywords such as antidepressants, suicide, children, and adolescents.

Results

The literature yielded conflicting data. While it has been established that SSRIs moderately elevate the risk of suicide ideation and attempts, with venlafaxine, paroxetine, and sertraline showing a higher risk compared to other SSRIs like fluoxetine and citalopram, several studies indicate that their use is linked to a noteworthy reduction in suicide rates among children and adolescents.

Conclusions

The existence of a definitive causal relationship between antidepressants and suicidality in children and adolescents is currently uncertain, and the underlying mechanisms remain inadequately understood.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S536
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
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