As the Food and Drug Administration investigates whether antidepressants known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are linked to increased suicidal thoughts, an estimated 1 million American children are taking such drugs, a 50 percent increase since 1999. The biggest jump is among preschoolers, according to one study.
None of this is a surprise to David Healy, a psychopharmacologist at the University of Wales College of Medicine in the U.K., who has argued for years that SSRI usage is far too cavalier, especially when prescribed to children. In his new book, Let Them Eat Prozac, Healy confirms his status as one longtime thorn in the side of big drug companies, recounting how he was initially enthusiastic about SSRIs but eventually grew concerned about their side effects. Although he still prescribes the drugs to adult patients, Healy believes far more caution is called for when medicating kids. “Children can be anxious and distressed, but serious depression is rare,” he says.
