The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns about an unprecedented rise in the number of children being prescribed anti-depressants in UK. Between 2005 and 2012, there was 54% increase in prescriptions issued for the drugs.
This illustrates the need for a more comprehensive approach to tackling the rising number of young people developing and living with mental health problems. Whilst there is a role for anti-depressants in treating depression, we need to be conscious of both side-effects and of medicalising mild to moderate experiences of depression, says Mental Health Foundation.
Evidence shows that most mental health problems begin in childhood. Tackling emerging mental health problems and signs of distress early is crucial. It has the potential to change the course of a child’s life, from improved life outcomes including educational attainment, employment opportunities and physical health to reductions in the levels of substance misuse, self-harm and suicide.
WHO Director of Mental Health, Dr Shekhar Saxena, said the research, published in the European Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, raises serious questions.
“Anti-depressant use amongst young people is and has been a matter of concern because of two reasons,” he is quoted on the BBC website.
“One, are more people being prescribed anti-depressants without sufficient reason? And second, can anti-depressants do any major harm?”
Another concern for the WHO is the prevalence of off-label prescriptions, where children are given drugs which are not licensed for use by under-18s.
Dr Saxena said: “These are medicines which have not been tried amongst young people, have no justification for being used widely in young people.”
“There are legal regulations and professional guidelines and off-label use of drugs many times crosses both of them. That’s something the WHO is very concerned about.”
Anti-depressants are a recognised treatment for managing depression in children but National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guidelines state they should not be offered initially for symptoms of mild depression.
In more serious cases, anti-depressants are only meant to be used in conjunction with psychological therapies.
