Are antidepressants over-prescribed to young people?

In the Spring Issue of McClung’s Magazine, Julianna McDermott examines how young Canadian women are being prescribed powerful antidepressant drugs in record numbers. She discovers that family doctors, who most patients turn to, don’t always have the time or the training to properly diagnose depression. They spend only an average of ten minutes with patients who complain of depression, but 80 per cent of those patients walk away with prescriptions for Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). SSRIs are widely believed to be effective treatment for depression, but they have serious side-effects, including an increased risk of suicide in young people. Here is an except from McDermott’s feature article Chemicals for Candy.

Are antidepressants over-prescribed to young people?