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Children with depression can benefit
from Prozac Posted 11-24-97 Depression in children is real, diagnosable, and treatable, according to an eight-week study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Graham Emslie, MD, a professor of psychiatry who led the study, says these findings may be the first step in avoiding depression and its potentially serious consequences in children and young adults. The study was a double-blind trial of fluoxetine (Prozac) with 97 depressed children ages 7 to 17. More than half responded positively to treatment with Prozac, Emslie said. A similar response rate to Prozac, a selective seratonin reuptake inhibitor, has been found in adults. Although adults are commonly treated for depression—which is characterized by extreme fatigue, an inability to concentrate, moodiness, and low self-esteem—physicians, parents, and children themselves are often reluctant to admit young people may also be candidates for treatment. In fact, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that one in five children under 17 have mental or emotional disorders. Two-thirds never receive proper treatment, said Madeline Gallo, vice president for public education at the National Mental Health Association. "The new study helps dispel the romantic myth of childhood," Gallo said. "It’s a tragedy that depression—which can lead to suicide—is regularly under- or misdiagnosed or ignored completely." Nurses, physicians, and parents should watch for symptoms of depression, as well as other physical ailments that might cause similar behavior, Gallo added. She said that clinician-administered depression screenings may be useful indicators of depression, and early diagnosis can lead to fast, appropriate treatment. "Whether kids are treated with medication, therapy, or both," Gallo said, "this study is a wake-up call to take our children’s mental health seriously." Related Site |
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