Doctors push for annual teen depression screenings

Teen depression often goes undiagnosed.

“Probably 20 percent of kids are going to experience a depressive episode at some point during their teenage years. Unfortunately, we are not identifying two out of three of those kids who is experiencing depression,” said Dr. Stephen Johnson who is a pediatrician and child psychologist for Norton Pediatrics.

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Medicare Now Covers Genetic Tests for Targeting Depression Drugs

An oral swab test that gives doctors an easy-to-read report to help guide decisions about prescribing depression medications is now available to 50 million Americans on Medicare.

More Medicare Now Covers Genetic Tests for Targeting Depression Drugs

America’s Epidemic of Psychiatric Over-Diagnosis

More and more people around you are being diagnosed with depression or ADHD, but is that an illusion? There is an epidemic in America, but it’s not an epidemic of psychiatric disorders—it’s an epidemic of over-diagnosis that’s making billions for pharmaceutical companies and the doctors prescribing these drugs.

America’s Epidemic of Psychiatric Over-Diagnosis

How Medicalizing Grief Turns Into Dollars

The proposed revisions for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) – the handbook for all disorders mind and brain – have been under serious fire in recent months, and the issues don’t appear to be quieting. The newest change to inspire protest from the mental health community is the idea that grief, once excluded from the definition of depression, is now included within it. This means that people grieving over the death of a loved one could theoretically go to their psychiatrist and be prescribed pills to treat the “condition.”

How Medicalizing Grief Turns Into Dollars

Kids’ Anxiety, Depression Halved When Parenting Styled to Personality

hen it comes to rearing children, just about any parent will say that what works with one kid might not work with another. Parents use all sorts of strategies to keep kids from being cranky, grumpy, fearful or moody, while encouraging them to be independent and well-adjusted.

Kids’ Anxiety, Depression Halved When Parenting Styled to Personality

Doctors Warn About ‘Facebook Depression’ In Teens

Add “Facebook depression” to potential harms linked with social media, an influential doctors’ group warns, referring to a condition it says may affect troubled teens who obsess over the online site.

Doctors Warn About ‘Facebook Depression’ In Teens

Preschool Depression

SPECIAL REPORT: To many parents, diagnosing a child with depression as young as 2-years-old sound unconscionable. Many ask, what child doesn’t cry or become irritable? What toddler doesn’t become bored or unhappy at times?

Peter Breggin - Antidepressants (O'Reilly Factor - 9 Jan 02)

Dr. Peter Breggin (breggin.com) has been the medical expert in countless court cases involving the use or misuse of psychoactive medications. This unusual position has given him unprecedented access to private pharmaceutical research and correspondence files, information from which informs this straight-talking guide to the most prescribed and controversial category of drugs: antidepressants.

Big Pharma Maneuvers to Label Toddlers as Depressed—and Drug Them

Once children are in the system, most become fodder for the Big Pharma machine for the rest of their miserable lives.

Big Pharma Maneuvers to Label Toddlers as Depressed—and Drug Them

A guide to psychiatric medications that increase suicide risks

This type of intoxication is called "involuntary," because the patient has been following doctor's orders while simultaneously and unknowingly worsening their condition. Most people have been accustomed to following doctors' orders unquestioningly. Also, patients experiencing an altered state of mind are not always able to ask the most important questions about their medications or clearly convey the reaction they are experiencing.

A guide to psychiatric medications that increase suicide risks

Treatment for Teen Depression: Medication, Therapy, and Self-Help

Treatment for Teen Depression: Medication, Therapy, and Self-Help

Depressed teens have trouble succeeding in school and maintaining healthy relationships. The good news is there are plenty of treatment options available.

Things You Should Know About Children Taking Paxil

Today is not uncom­mon to see chil­dren suf­fer­ing from depres­sion or other men­tal dis­or­ders. Many doc­tors pre­scribe drugs is now as Paxil to improve men­tal health dis­or­der or con­di­tion of the child. But what many do not know is that the U.S. Food and Drug Admin­is­tra­tion (FDA) never approved treat­ment or use of Paxil for chil­dren. The FDA does not reg­u­late med­ical pro­ce­dures and med­ical med­i­cine to chil­dren solely on their expe­ri­ence and the find­ings require.

Things You Should Know About Children Taking Paxil

Antidepressants Pose Similar Suicide Risks for Kids

While antidepressants are known to offer relief to patients suffering from depression and anxiety, a wide variety of studies and reports point to the medications’ risks in a growing array of demographics. Now, Reuters Health, writes that while antidepressant medications do work in pediatric patients, they can increase suicidal behavior, regardless of a particular medication’s component or brand.

Antidepressants Pose Similar Suicide Risks for Kids

Penn Study Shows Antidepressants Work Best for Severe Depression, Provide Little to No Benefit Otherwise

A study of 30 years of antidepressant-drug treatment data published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that the benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo may be minimal or nonexistent in patients with mild or moderate symptoms. University of Pennsylvania researchers say, however, the benefit of medications is substantial for patients with very severe depression.

More >> Penn Study Shows Antidepressants Work Best for Severe Depression, Provide Little to No Benefit Otherwise

TeenScreen - Controversial and Unscientific

National Public Radio: "This is a program that has some very vocal critics. They say Teenscreen usurps parental authority, sends kids to therapy who might not need it and they say the program encourages families to put adolescents on antidepressant drugs."

Thoughts on the drugging of children

Thoughts on the drugging of children

Depression signs found in 15 per cent of preschoolers

In a five-year study published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers conclude that 15 per cent of infants and preschoolers have symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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How Young is Too Young to Diagnose Depression?

Any parent can attest that the “Terrible 2’s” are a moody, temperamental time in the life of a toddler. Many kids are irritable and seem to throw temper tantrums for no reason, and some engage in more destructive behaviors like biting, hitting, and kicking themselves or others. Unfortunately, for some children, this phase lasts well beyond their third birthday. Are these kids just demonstrating the outward signs of emotional immaturity, or are they suffering from clinical depression? A new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and published in Archives of General Psychiatry suggests it may be the latter.

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Should 3-Year-Olds Take Antidepressants?

Try to access the Web site of the Archives of General Psychiatry, and you may have to abide an ad for the antidepressant Pristiq before you can enter. (JAMA and its Archives Journals “do not endorse the advertised product,” you’ll be assured.)

More >> Should 3-Year-Olds Take Antidepressants?

Should Your 3-Year-Old Be On Antidepressants?

But look for a pharma affiliation for the author of the article "Preschool Depression," Joan L. Luby, MD in the August issue and you'll be told no "financial disclosure" was reported. Not that "Dr. Luby has received grant/research support from Janssen, has given occasional talks sponsored by AstraZeneca, and has served as a consultant for Shire Pharmaceutical," as a 2006 article in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says.

More >> Should Your 3-Year-Old Be On Antidepressants?