Young Adults Included in Antidepressants Black Box Suicide Warnings
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The FDA asked the makers of all 36 antidepressants today to include young adults ages 18 to 24 in the black box warnings for suicidal thinking and behavior.
ROCKVILLE, Md., May 2 -- The FDA asked the makers of all 36 antidepressants today to include young adults ages 18 to 24 in the black box warnings for suicidal thinking and behavior.
The warnings will be similar to those already in place since 2005 for adolescents and children. The agency said the warnings applied particularly to initial treatment, generally the first one to two months.
"The risk is quite small, but it is real and needs attention," said Thomas Laughren, M.D., of the FDA, in a briefing for reporters, He cited data suggesting that about five of every 1,000 patients ages 18 to 24 had an increased risk.
These same data showed no added risk for patients older than 24 taking antidepressants and, indeed a declining risk for those older than 65.
The black box warnings, the FDA said, "emphasize that depression and certain other serious psychiatric disorders are themselves the most important causes of suicide.
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