We must limit the number of young children who are administered antidepressants, as we do not have sufficient, if any, data regarding the effects of these drugs on the developing brain. Greater involvement from parents, teachers, ministers, and friends, as well as counseling and psychotherapy must all be used extensively before turning to the "quick fix" of antidepressants.

In the last ten years, the psychiatric field has been flooded with a new group of antidepressants known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, or SSRIs. Michele Laraia defines an SSRI as "a group of compounds that block the reuptake of serotonin by the pre synaptic neuron" (6). By adjusting the level of serotonin, the mood-altering chemical which our body naturally creates, that reaches the brain, we can control the stability of a person's mood.

Tania Unsworth writes that "almost 600,000 children and adolescents in the US were prescribed SSRI antidepressants in 1996" (1). A more alarming statistic, reported by Joseph Coyle, is that "there has been a 10-fold increase in the prescription of SSRIs in the US for children under 5 years old between 1993 and 1997" (1). Parents, teachers, and psychiatrists across the co

Furthermore, the vast majority of evidence, so far, suggests that antidepressants do not help childhood depression (Price 1). The body of a child grows far too rapidly for the drug level to remain constant in their body. Fisher goes on to put it more bluntly in saying that "in view of their negative side effects and clearly demonstrated lack of therapeutic effectiveness, it is inappropriate to treat the younger segment of the population with antidepressant medications" (2). Almost 80 percent of children who are put on medications were referred to doctors for school problems, yet antidepressants have been proven to be ineffective in treating school problems or nebulous behavior problems (Asch-Goodkin 1). Once again, another case where frustration in a child's behavior is put above the child himself. A quick and easy answer to everything does not always exsist. With no empirical evidence to support drug treatment in young children, many could argue that it is not only dangerous but unethical as well.

Unsworth, Tania."Prozac's New Generation."The Guardian 20 Aug. 1997:T8. Health Reference Center- Academic. Infotrac. Owensboro Community Coll.LRC. 28 June 2000.

Fisher, Rhoda L."Science Does Not Support Childhood Antidepressant Use."The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter 13.3 (1997):1+. Health Reference Center- Academic. Infotrac. Owensboro Community Coll.LRC. 28 June 2000.

Kalb, Claudia."Drugged-Out Toddlers."Newsweek 6 Mar. 2000:53+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Infotrac. Owensboro Community Coll.LRC. 3 July 2000.

Gottleib, Scott."Rise in Preschool Children Receiving Psychiatric Drugs"British Medical Journal 320.7235 (2000):602+. Health Reference Center- Academic. Infotrac. Owensboro Community Coll.LRC. 28 June 2000.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1984
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)