Prozac ‘no Better Than Placebo’ For Treating Children With Depression, Experts Say

Clinical guidelines should nary longer urge Prozac for children, according to experts, aft investigation showed it had nary objective use for treating slump successful children and adolescents.

Globally one successful 7 10-19 twelvemonth olds person a intelligence wellness condition, according to nan World Health Organization. In nan UK, astir a 4th of older teenagers and up to a 5th of younger children person anxiety, slump aliases different intelligence wellness problems.

In nan UK, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidance says under-18s pinch mean to terrible slump can beryllium prescribed antidepressants alongside therapy.

But a caller reappraisal of proceedings information by academics successful Austria and nan UK concluded that fluoxetine, sold nether nan marque sanction of Prozac among others, is clinically nary amended than placebo narcotics successful treating slump successful children, and should truthful nary longer beryllium prescribed to them.

The authors conducted a meta study of 12 ample tests involving Prozac, published betwixt 1997 and 2024, and concluded that fluoxetine improved children’s depressive symptoms truthful small arsenic to not beryllium considered clinically meaningful.

“Consider nan affinity of a weight-loss supplier that is amended than placebo astatine producing weight loss, but nan quality is only 100 grams,” said Martin Plöderl, a objective scientist astatine Paracelsus Medical University successful Salzburg, Austria, and lead writer of nan study. “This quality is improbable to beryllium noticeable to nan diligent aliases their doctors aliases nutrient immoderate quality successful their wide condition.”

The study, published successful nan Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, identified a “novelty bias” successful early trials, which were apt to beryllium much positive, while later studies neglect to corroborate these effects. It concludes that nan imaginable risks of harmful side-effects of fluoxetine are apt to outweigh immoderate imaginable objective benefit.

The astir communal side-effects knowledgeable by children connected antidepressants are weight gain, slumber disturbance and attraction problems. They tin besides summation suicidal ideation.

The authors besides examined objective guidelines successful nan US and Canada and recovered that conscionable arsenic successful nan UK, they ignored grounds that Prozac was clinically balanced to placebo and continued to urge its usage for children and adolescents pinch depression.

Mark Horowitz, an subordinate professor of psychiatry astatine Adelaide University and a co-author of nan study, said: “Fluoxetine is intelligibly clinically balanced to placebo successful its benefits, but is associated pinch greater broadside effects and risks. It is difficult to spot really anyone tin warrant exposing young group to a supplier pinch known harms erstwhile it has nary advantage complete placebo successful its benefits.

“Guidelines should not urge treatments that are balanced to placebo. Many clinicians return nan common-sense attack that we should activity to understand why nan young personification feels depressed and reside nan factors that are contributing to it.

“Guidelines successful nan UK and astir nan world presently urge treatments for children pinch slump that are not successful statement pinch nan champion evidence. This exposes young group to nan risks of medicine without immoderate use complete placebo.”

The semipermanent effects of antidepressants successful children and adolescents were “poorly understood” and investigation among adults showed risks included superior broadside effects that whitethorn beryllium semipermanent and successful immoderate cases persist aft stopping nan medication, he added.

Responding to nan findings, a Nice spokesperson said: “Mental wellness is simply a privilege for Nice and we recognise that slump successful young group is simply a superior information that affects each differently, which is why having a scope of curen options is basal for clinicians. Our line recommends a prime of psychological therapies arsenic first statement curen options for children and young group pinch depression.

“Nice recommends that children and young group pinch mean aliases terrible slump are reviewed by master teams. Antidepressants whitethorn beryllium considered successful operation pinch psychological therapy for mean to terrible slump successful immoderate cases and only nether regular master supervision.”

Prof Allan Young, chair of nan Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Academic Faculty, said that nan study should beryllium interpreted pinch “caution”. “Clinical guidelines measurement galore factors beyond mean effect size, including safety, feasibility, and diligent preferences. It is important that prescribed medicine show accordant grounds and information data,” he said.