Claris Law Legal Blogging Community

Editor: Robert Binstock
Profession: Paxil Side Effect Attorney

Category: Paxil Suicide

In April, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluated the risks of those under 25 using SSRIs such as Paxil, Zoloft, and Prozac to treat mood disorders against a possible increased risk of suicide. Going against the FDA'S already imposed black box warning for SSRI antidepressants, this study concluded that the benefits of these drugs far outweigh the potential risks of increased suicidal behavior in users under the age of 25.

5300 children and teens diagnosed with depression and anxiety participated in 27 clinical trials in which roughly one child out of every 100 experienced greater suicidal feelings while on the medication (roughly 3%), a sharp contrast to the FDA's study in 2004 that found 2 out of every 100 had increased risks. Overall, 61% of depressed children on medication felt better. Notable is that the trials excluded children and teens who were already at increased risk for suicidal behavior. Adolescents benefited more from the antidepressants than children, and the only antidepressant that worked for children under the age of 12 was Prozac. According to these finding, study co-author Dr. Dave Brent of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine stated "the medications are safe and effective...the benefits seem favorable to the small risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. I think the [black box] warning needs to be reconsidered [to] something that's not so scary."