Are antidepressants the driver behind adolescent (teenaged) suicides? Both treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression have been the subject of significant controversy. In recent news, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings that Strattera, a newer treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may trigger suicidal thoughts in teens. Clinical trials conducted on Strattera, showed that five out 1,357 patients who took the ADHD drug experienced suicidal thoughts compared to zero out of 857 who were administered a placebo.

It is difficult to ascertain what transpires outside of the confines of a tightly-controlled study. The risks of an adolescent taking his or her life is any area of contention and grave concern. Over the last five years, (2001-2006) suicides have accounted for more than 35,000 American deaths. The vast majority of the suicides were found in teenagers from the ages of 18 to 19.

The controversy of adolescent suicides and antidepressants has been put into perspective by Dr. David Shaffer, a leading expert on suicidal behavior, the director of child and adolescent psychology at Columbia University. Review Dr. Shaffer’s findings and facts regarding adolescents, antidepressants and suicide:

- Approximately, 20 percent of all high school-aged kids experience suicidal thoughts.

- Over the last year, one in five American adolescents has thought about suicide.

- Alcohol usage has a tendency of driving the suicide rate.

It is highly likely that antidepressants are reducing the risks of suicide. Evidence proving that antidepressants are not the significant cause of suicides is based on autopsy studies. Toxicology analyses from youth suicides conducted New York and Salt Lake City have not found traces of antidepressants, such as SSRIs to be the leading cause of suicide.