Antidepressant, including TCA, prescribing up in Canadian children and adolescents.

Antidepressant prescribing for Canadian children is increasing, with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), the most frequently prescribed medication, which was not surprising. However, there is also an increase in prescribing of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), which, for a pediatric population, is unexpected. And most often, the TCAs — which are toxic at high doses — are being prescribed for a condition other than depression. According to a study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, one of the only ones looking at antidepressant prescribing in Canada for children following the 2004 warning of suicidal ideation, which was followed by a decrease in prescribing and a subsequent increase in suicides, antidepressant prescribing is on the increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]