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Cited by 183Treatment of Major DepressionChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentMental Health Treatment and Access

Review of the efficacy and safety of antidepressants in youth depression

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Cheung, Amy H., Emslie, Graham J., Mayes, Taryn L.·2005·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01467.x
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Abstract

Background: Depression in children and adolescents is a cause of substantial morbidity and mortality in this population. It is a common disorder that affects 2% of children and up to 6% of adolescents. Although antidepressants are used frequently for the treatment of this disorder, there has been recent controversy about the efficacy and safety of these medications in this population. This review examined the available evidence from clinical trials of antidepressants in adolescents and children with depression. Methods: Clinical trial data reviewed were obtained from published reports, including peer review journals and meeting abstracts, as well as unpublished data in the public domain. Clinical trials in this review included large RCTs of antidepressants in youth under the age of 19 with depression. Studies were identified in 2 stages: 1) all RCTs included in the 2004 FDA safety report were reviewed; and 2) to ensure that no additional studies not reported to the FDA were missed, MEDLINE and PSYCH Info were searched from inception until December 2004. A total of 8 published studies and 9 unpublished studies were identified and reviewed. Results: Efficacy and safety results from each study are reviewed in detail. There are significant differences in remission and response rates between different antidepressants but also between placebo groups across studies. Adverse events are common in clinical trials involving children and adolescents with depression. Due to lack of access to full data sets, effect sizes could not be calculated. Conclusions: With the variability in trial methodology and the variation in the drug/placebo response rates within a single trial, clinicians need to be judicious in their interpretation of research data on pediatric antidepressant trials. Significant methodological issues may also have affected the efficacy and safety results from these clinical trials.

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. American Psychiatric Press. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.
  2. Emslie, G.J., Findling, R.L., Rynn, M.A., Marcus, R.N., Fernandes, L.A., D'Amico, M.F., & Hardy, S.A. (2002b). Efficacy and safety of nefazodone in the treatment of adolescents with major depressive dis- order. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psycho- pharmacology, 12, 299.
  3. Emslie, G.J., Weinberg, W.A., Rush, A.J., Adams, R.M., & Rintelmann, J.W. (1990). Depressive symptoms by 14697610, 2005, 7, Downloaded from https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01467.x by Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Wiley Online Library on [30/08/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License self-report in adolescence. Journal of Child Neuro- logy, 3, 114-121. · DOI
  4. Jensen, P.S., Ryan, N.D., & Prien, R. (1992). Psycho- pharmacology of child and adolescent major depres- sion. Journal of Child Psychopharmacology, 2, 31-45.
  5. Rabkin, J.G., & Markowitz, J.S. (1986). Side effect assessment with SAFTEE. Psychopharmacological Bulletin, 22, 389-396.
  6. Wagner, K.D., Ambrosini, P.J., Rynn, M., et al. (2003). Efficacy of sertraline in the treatment of children and adolescents with major depressive disorder. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, 1033-1041.

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Authors
Cheung, A. H., Emslie, G. J., & Mayes, T. L.
Affiliations
  • University of Toronto (CA)
  • The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Cheung, Amy H.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2005-06-23
Volume
46
Issue
7
Pages
735-754
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01467.x
OpenAlex
W2052183675
Cited by
183
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 7
FWCI
2.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion, public-domain)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
childhood depression, adolescent depression, antidepressants, antidepressant efficacy, antidepressant safety, adverse events, placebo response, clinical trial design
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Antidepressive Agents, Bipolar Disorder, Child, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Risk, Safety, Suicide, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation

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