Chicago – New government figures show a surprising increase in youth suicides after a decade of decline, and some mental health experts think a drop in the use of antidepressant drugs may be to blame.
The suicide rate climbed 14 percent from 2003 to 2004 for Americans younger than 20, with the total rising from 1,737 deaths to 1,985. Most suicides occurred in older teens, according to the data, the most current from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By contrast, the suicide rate among 15- to 19-year-olds fell in previous years, from about 11 per 100,000 in 1990 to 7.3 per 100,000 in 2003.
Suicides were the only cause of death that increased for children through age 19 from 2003 to 2004, according to a CDC report released Monday.
“This is very disturbing news,” said Dr. David Fassler, a University of Vermont psychiatry professor.
He noted that the increase coincided with growing fears that antidepressants could cause suicidal behavior in children, which fueled regulatory action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration leading to a warning on packages.
The agency ordered the warnings in October 2004, and they began to appear on drug labels about six months later.
Psychologist David Shern, president of Mental Health America, said some research has linked certain antidepressants with decreasing suicide rates, so “we must therefore wonder if the FDA’s actions and the subsequent decrease in access to these antidepressants in fact have caused an increase in youth suicide.” The group gets funding from makers of antidepressants, government agencies and private donations.
