The Psychopharmaceutical Complex Responds

The FDA s recent black box warning could serve to initiate a natural public health experiment. The change in labeling may be accompanied by a reduction in antidepressant prescriptions, particularly for youth. 

An unintended consequence of this policy could be an increase in youth suicide. That is an empirical question to be examined in the near future. 

The real chilling experiment has been the drugging of millions of America s children with toxic so-called antidepressants, with no proven efficacy and with proven adverse effects, including mania and suicidality. Of course, it should be hoped that the change in label reduces the number of children exposed to these drugs. As for the empirical question concerning any potential increase in youth suicide from a reduction in antidepressant use, it is hard enough to draw conclusions from 

Society-wide epidemiological studies cannot realistically answer empirical questions about drug efficacy and adverse effects it is hard enough to do so in carefully controlled clinical trials. And besides, the empirical question has already been answered by the clinical trials. Antidepressants increase suicidality in children and youth as well as adults. But it is guaranteed that these same ACNP so-called experts will start producing flimsy and even ridiculous epidemiological studies in an attempt to undermine the far more reliable data generated in controlled clinical trials. 

Is it unfair to say that the ACNP represents the drug companies, rather than America s children At the end of the ACNP report, there is a list of Task Force members (the report authors), with their disclosures concerning potential conflicts of interest (Mann et al., 2006). The list of industry affiliations fills one and three-fourth pages. Of the 11 authors, only 1, William Beardslee, the fourth name in the list, claims no industry affiliation. Every one of the other 10 authors acknowledges several drug company affiliations, most have many affiliations, and all 10 have connections to the manufacturers of antidepressants. And these are the professionals, the supposedly top experts, who set the standards for the prescription of psychiatric drugs in America and worldwide  

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