Dr.

Sulaiman Dawood
Institute of Clinical Psychology
Pharmacological Treatments

The Use of Anti-Depressants

On Children & Adolescents
Introduction
• Anti-Depressants / Anti-Psychotics

• Medications for treatment of depression and other

kinds of psychological illness’

• Not always helpful

• Considered to be HAPPY PILLS

• Considered to improve daily functioning

Prescribed
Drugs

• There are normally four types of psychological drugs

prescribed by doctors for usage among various age
groups

• SSRIs
• SGAs
• Mood Stabilizers
• Psycho - Stimulants
SSRI
• SELECTIVE SEROTONIN REUPTAKE
INHIBITORS

• COMMONLY
ADMINISTERED FOR
OCD AND MDD

• WIDELY PRESCRIBED
FOR PEDIATRICS
• HOWEVER FDA HAS ONLY APPROVED THREE
OF THE FOLLOWING AGENTS FOR THE USE
ON CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

Agent FDA Pediatric Approval Symptoms

Fluoxetine 7-17 years old OCD, MDD

Fluvoxamine Less than 8 years old OCD

Sertraline Less than 6 years old OCD

SGA
• SECOND GENERATION ANTI
PSYCHOTICS

• ADMINISTERED FOR
• SCHIZOPHRENIA
• PSYCHOTIC DEPRESSION
• BI-POLAR DISORDER
• CONDUCT DISORDER
• PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL
DISORDERS
• TOURETTE’S SYNDROME
Mood Stabilizers
• AGENTS THAT ELEVATE A MOOD STATE TO
CERTAIN LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT
ESPECIALLY DURING BI-POLAR DISORDER.

• COMMON MOOD STABILIZERS

• LITHIUM
• VALPORATE
• CARBAMAZEPINE
Stimulants
• PSYCHOSTIMULANTS ARE CONSIDERED TO
BE SOME OF THE BEST-STUDIED
MEDICATIONS IN PEDIATRICS

• DECREASES HYPERACTIVITY & IMPULSIVITY

• IMPROVES ATTENTION
• INCREASES ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
• REDUCES INTERPERSONAL CONFLICTS &
OPPOSITIONAL BEHAVIOUR
• IMPROVES PARENT-CHILD INTERACTIONS
IS IT OKAY FOR CHILDREN TO BE
DEVELOPING & MATURING IN A
STATE OF MIND, ALTERED BY
DRUGS?
WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE?
LETS SEE THE
ADVERSE
EFFECTS
OF THESE
SO CALLED
HAPPY PILLS
Adverse Effects
of SSRI
• SUICIDALITY
• IRRITABILITY
• INSOMNIA
• HEADACHE
• RASH
• FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS
• STOMACH ACHE
• NAUSEA & VOMITING
• ANOREXIA
Adverse Effects
of Antipsychotics

• LEUKOPENIA
• SEIZURES
• WEIGHT GAIN
• FATIGUE AND MEMORY LOSS
• SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONALITY
• SEVERE MUSCULAR STIFFNESS
• RESTLESSNESS
• NEUROLEPTIC MALIGNANT SYNDROME
Adverse Effects of
Mood Stabilizers

Valporate Lithium Carbamazepine

Nausea Nausea Anemia
Weight Gain Weight Gain Dizziness
Transient Hair Loss Polyuria Blurred Vision
Tremor Diarrhea Sedation
Vomiting Polydipsia Ataxia
Pancreatic & Liver Failure Lithium Toxicity Stevens Johnsons’
Syndrome
Mood Stabilizers
Adverse Effects
of Stimulants

• HYPERTENSION
• WEIGHT LOSS
• APPETITE & GROWTH SUPPRESSION
• HEADACHE
• SLEEP DEPRIVATION
• EXTREME RARE CASES OF SEIZURES &
PSYCHOSIS
• FATIGUE & MOOD SWINGS
• TRANSIENT HEPATITIS
• LIVER FAILURE
DO THESE MEDICINES
REALLY HELP?
• PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THESE MINIATURE
PILLS CAN HELP THEM THROUGH A TOUGH
DAY WHEN IN REALITY THEY CAN BE
MAKING OUR LIFE TOUGHER!

• FACT: MOST OF THE COMPLICATIONS

OBSERVED DURING PREGNANCY ARE DUE TO
THE FACT THAT DOCTORS PRESCRIBE THE
USE OF ANTI DEPRESSANTS AT CHILD BIRTH!
 WHY DO WE NEED SUCH
MEDICATIONS?

SLEEP?
PEACE OF MIND?
EMOTIONAL CONTROL?
SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP
DYNAMICS?
 DO WE NEED THESE HAPPY
PILLS TO HELP US IN OUR
RELATIONSHIPS INSTEAD OF A
LITTLE CONSIDERATION FROM
BOTH SIDES?
 MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE
DON’T KNOW THAT THE
MEDICINES THEY THINK ARE
HELPFUL WOULD CAUSE LONG
LASTING HARMFUL EFFECTS.
Like This!
 SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE
FORCED INTO TAKING THESE
MEDICINES
WHILE OTHERS COMPLAIN OF
NO IMPROVEMENT AT ALL
AND SOME
PEOPLE
EVEN
TRY AND
QUIT
THEMSEL
VES
BUT CAN YOU REALLY
JUST STOP !
 LET’S SEE WHAT THIS
PERSON HAS TO SAY
ABOUT AN ANTI
DEPRESSANT HE TRIED TO
QUIT!
I have just been through detox hell after stopping the
antidepressant Cymbalta. After a week of dizziness,
nausea, diarrhea, sweats, chills, itching,
disorientation, mood swings & headaches, I am
angry! My doctor did not tell me that this might
happen.

I had been on the drug for about a year and was

weaned off it by gradually dropping the dosage. I
expected some emotional repercussions, but I didn't
expect to be unable to function for more than a week,
a prisoner in my own home.
I would have assumed I was dying of a strange flu, but I
found accounts of similar withdrawal problems on
the Internet. My doctor was out of town, and his fill-
in confirmed that these were typical symptoms of
stopping Cymbalta.

It terrifies me to think about other patients going off this

drug with no idea of what might happen to them. The
withdrawal hell should be explained so the patient
can know what to expect and prepare himself for the
possibilities.
IT’S TIME FOR US TO QUESTION
OUR JUDGMENT
DO WE NEED ANTI DEPRESSANTS
OR CAFFEINE TO CURE OUR
LONELINESS AND HEADACHES?
Or do we need strong friendships?
 DO WE NEED THIS TO
ACHIEVE GOOD
EXAMINATION SCORES?
OR DO WE NEED A LITTLE
GUIDANCE, LOVE, CARE &
ATTENTION
 THEY CALL IT
ATTENTION DEFICIT
DISORDER
I CALL IT POOR PARENTING
 AND THEN
COMPLAINING
INSTEAD WE NEED CARE &
UNDERSTANDING
 ARE WE FAIR IN OUR
DEALINGS ?

ARE WE NOT CHEATING ONE

WAY OR THE OTHER AT
SOME PLACE OR SOME
POINT IN OUR LIFE?
 YET WE
HOPE THAT
THESE
MEDICINES
WILL HELP
US GET A
PEACEFUL
 ON THE
CONTRARY WE
ARE VERY MUCH
AWAKE DUE TO
FEAR, DOUBT,
EMBARRASSME
NT AND SHAME
 CAN A
CHILL PILL
REALLY
HELP US
FEEL
RELAXED?
 IS IT A RIGHT
THING
TO TEACH YOUR
KID THAT A
PILL IS
NECESSARY
FOR
HIS DAILY
CAN WE LIVE WITH THE FACT THAT
WE ARE DESTROYING A CHILD’S
INNOCENCE BY GIVING HIM
MEDICATIONS THAT WE KNOW
FOR SURE WILL HAVE HARMFUL
EFFECTS IN THE FUTURE!
Save your children from
Psychological Drugs !
Thank you