The depressing truth on drugs

Toran Henry committed suicide after being restarted on an antidepressant that had caused him prior problems.

MORE than 175,000 Australians under the age of 18 are using antidepressant medications each year, despite the drugs not being registered for treatment in this age group.

The revelation comes as doctors say children as young as four are being prescribed the drugs and one in every 33 children — including preschoolers — are taking them.

Concerns are also mounting that the drugs could be driving up youth suicides.

The nation’s medical regulator has called on doctors to review their prescribing of the drugs after it found that use of antidepressants had soared by 36 per cent in the past five years.

Alarmingly, it found suicide rates had also increased across all age groups, especially among children under the age of 15. But it said there was not enough evidence to prove the drugs were the cause.

Medical professionals and parents are calling for warning labels to be placed on the packaging of antidepressants.

While a direct connection between these drugs and suicide is still being investigated, specialist doctors colleges have reported that there can be severe and long-lasting withdrawal symptoms when people try to get off the drugs.

The head of adolescent psychiatry at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry (RANZCP) Paul Robertson is concerned antidepressants are being prescribed “too often” and said Australia’s increasing use “is not clearly aligned with the various guidelines around the world”.

Dr Robertson said he had seen instances of the medications being prescribed to fouryear-olds. “It’s probably mostly not appropriate and a different sort of intervention is required,” he said.

Antidepressants are not registered for the treatment of depression in anyone under the age of 18 in Australia, yet more than 175,000 people in this age group were using them in 2019.

A study by the nation’s medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, found almost 40,000 children aged five to 11 years were prescribed antidepressants between 2015 and 2019.

Australia has become the third highest user of the medicines in the world.

Doctors have admitted that they were issuing the drugs out of desperation and outside medical guidelines because child psychiatrists were too expensive and waiting times could be 12 months or longer.

“It’s a very difficult thing when you’re at the frontline,’’ Australian Medical Association vice president and GP Chris Moy said.

“The other day there was somebody under 10 who’s facing six to 12 months to try and get in (to see a psychiatrist).’’

According to the RANZCP, the numbers of child psychiatrists, psychologists and mental health workers needs to double to meet demand.

Sydney psychologist Kimberley O’Brien said it was better to assess children when they were not on medication,