Editor's Notes:

The FDA has been under tremendous pressure to "get tough" on drug safety, particularly in the case of antidepressants taken by teenagers. There have been some claims that a new class of these drugs, called SSRIs, may increase suicide risk in some adolescents, and the FDA has responded by adding its most stringent warning to the drugs' labeling.

Some psychiatrists, however, contend that these risks have been exaggerated and that the FDA is doing more harm than good by frightening parents and teenagers with severe depression away from useful treatments:

The American Medical Association will consider taking a stance against a controversial Food and Drug Administration decision to add stiff warnings about antidepressant use among teens and children at its conference in Chicago this month.

Those behind the proposal say it is designed to combat a recent, rapid decline in [antidepressant] prescriptions and ensure children and adolescents are getting proper treatment for depression.…

The decline concerns Dr. David Fassler, who is on the board of the American Psychiatric Association… "I worry that it will reduce access to effective and appropriate treatment for children and adolescents suffering from depression," said Fassler, adding that he didn't feel the decision was supported by available scientific data.