cJessica

I am a nursing student at the University of Nevada, Reno. As an assignment for one of my classes, I am to participate in an online discussion group of some type, and post a question, which I will write a paper summarizing my experience. This is my attempt to do so, and so I really appreciate all of your responses. Depression in children and adolescents appears to be a significant problem. An article in the Psychological Bulletin explains how depression in children and adolescents may result in issues with functioning socially and scholastically, can cause stress within the family, and is something that needs attention when suspected (Weisz, McCarty, & Valeri, 2006). However, treatment may not be quite so easy to achieve due to the FDA classifying antidepressants with a black-box warning for use in children and adolescents in October 2004, as the result of an increased risk for suicide (Goodman, Murphy, & Lazoritz, 2006). Along with the black-box warning are many guidelines that are recommended with prescribing antidepressants to children and adolescents (Goodman, Murphy, & Lazoritz, 2006). An example of one of these recommendations is a visit frequency recommendation, which states that the patient should visit the prescribing physician once a week for the first 4 weeks, every 2 weeks for the next month, at the end of the 12th week taking the drug, and more often if problems arise (Goodman, Murphy, & Lazoritz, 2006). I am curious as to how well these guidelines are followed, especially visit frequency recommendations, and how well patients adhere to this? Also, what are patient's reactions when they are informed of the possible risk of suicide? Does this risk cause reluctance in some patients to take antidepressants? I do not have much clinical experience in this area, but am extremely interested, and am intrigued to know what some of you have seen in your clinical experiences. Additionally, I was wondering what type of non-pharmalogical interventions you have found to be successful with adolescent and pediatric patients suffering from depression? Thank you in advance for your time and responses!! References: Goodman, W.K., Murphy,T.K. & Lazoritz, M.(2006). Risk of suicidality during antidepressant treatment of children and adolescents. Primary Psychiatry, 13(1), 43-50. Weisz, J.R., McCarty, C.A., & Valeri, S.M. (2006). Effects of psychotherapy for depression in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 132-149.