CAUTION: Banned SSRI's still being prescribed for children.

February 10, 2006

Banned drugs still being prescribed for children By Maxine Frith, Social Affairs Correspondent Published: 09 February 2006 http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article344226.ece Tens of thousands of children are still being prescribed powerful antidepressants despite guidance that they should not given to patients under 18 because of serious safety concerns. Campaigners warned that vulnerable teenagers were being treated with a potentially dangerous "chemical cosh" of drugs because of long waiting lists for more suitable therapies such as counselling. More than 85,000 prescriptions were given to children in 2004 for

antidepressants that the regulatory agencies had ruled should only be given to adults. One in three of all child antidepressant prescriptions were for drugs on the "banned" list drawn up by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in 2003. The drugs, which include Seroxat and other common antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) raise the risk of emotional distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts among children. Sophie Corlett, policy director of the mental health charity Mind, said: "While [these drugs] may be appropriate for a few teenagers, guidelines recommend against their use because the risks generally outweigh the benefits. Doctors are advised to refer children for therapy but the waiting lists are very long." The MHRA ruled in June 2003 that Seroxat should not be given to people under 18. . Please read the entire article at: http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article344226.ece "Our ideal is not the spirituality that withdraws from life but the conquest of life by the power of the spirit." - Aurobindo.

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