According to our friends over at PubMed, a review study was done to examine the efficacy of antidepressants in teens and children suffering from depression. The results of this review are fairly astounding:

In general, nine depressed youth must be treated with an antidepressant to obtain one clinical response above that achieved with placebo. To date, fluoxetine has showed the most consistent positive treatment effects. Depressed youth had also acutely responded to other antidepressants, but the response to placebo has also been high. Overall, the antidepressants are well tolerated, but 1 to 3 children and adolescents of 100 taking antidepressants showed onset or worsening of suicidal ideation and, more rarely, suicide attempts.

That’s a nine-in-one ratio. So for every teen prescribed an antidepressant, only one out of nine will actually benefit from it versus giving them a sugar pill. That’s not exactly a great ratio.

Sometimes, one wonders if there wouldn’t be a market for fake psychiatric drugs with similar sounding names to brand name drugs that are nothing more than sugar pills.

However, the researchers conclude:

There is a positive risk-benefit ratio for the use of antidepressants in the acute treatment of depressed youth.

and

First-line antidepressant treatment with-or without-specific types of psychotherapy is indicated for youth with MDD of at least moderate severity.

So antidepressants are still worth trying, but so is psychotherapy.

Reference: Boylan, K., Romero, S. , & Birmaher, B. (2007). Psychopharmacologic treatment of pediatric major depressive disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Mar;191(1):27-38.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 May 2007
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.