To the Editor: A recent editorial in the British Medical Journal reported advice from the UK Committee on Safety of Medicines that most types of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) should not be used in the treatment of major depression in children.1 The editorial sparked interest in the Australian media, resulting in articles in large metropolitan newspapers with titles such as “Army of kids on antidepressants”.2 General practitioners were targeted as the cause of reported “over-prescribing”.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
We thank the GPs who participated, and the Australian Department of Health and Ageing; Astra Zeneca Pty Ltd (Australia); Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd; Roche Products Pty Ltd; and Merck Sharp and Dohme (Australia) Pty Ltd for funding the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) study.
This study was researched, analysed and reported as an independent analysis of data from the BEACH study.