~from Scientific American
Warnings on antidepressant drugs should be expanded to say the risks of suicidal thoughts and behavior extend to adults ages 18 to 24, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.
The danger decreases, however, for adults 65 and older when they take the medicines, the Food and Drug Administration said. New warning labels should note that finding and stress that depression and some other psychiatric disorders are themselves a major causes of suicide, officials said.
The drugs already come with strong warnings that taking them may increase the chances of suicidal thoughts or actions in children and teenagers. Many psychiatrists have criticized the warnings, saying they scare people away from effective treatment and may have contributed to an increase in suicide in recent years.