Here’s the real story behind those claims that the ‘black box’ warning on antidepressants is harming teens

Is this the most dangerous example of bad research posing as news?

It was hard to miss those headlines last week — and they were terrifying.

Like this one from NBC News: “Warned to death? Antidepressant ‘black box’ backfires.” Or this one from the respected National Public Radio: “Warnings against antidepressants for teens may have backfired.”

The “story” is that FDA warnings about antidepressants causing suicidal thoughts were responsible for fewer of these drugs being prescribed to adolescents. And that has caused a significant increase in young people trying to kill themselves.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!

Then, I discovered what the real story is behind these scary headlines.

And it’s one you won’t be hearing from NBC or USA Today.

For once, it looked like the FDA did something that was actually helpful.

Back in 2004 it finally forced drug companies to put warnings — big black box warnings — on antidepressant drugs.

The warnings say that kids who take them can have “suicidal thinking and behavior.” That warning was extended to include those up to 24 years old in 2007.

And since that time it looks like fewer kids and young adults are being prescribed these risky meds. And that’s wonderful news.

So why are we suddenly seeing stories about a “surge” in teens trying to kill themselves? Ones that are laying blame on that FDA warning, calling it “a tragic case of the law of unintended consequences,” and something that “backfired.”

Here’s what Big Pharma’s moles in the media won’t be telling you.

It all started with a very suspicious “study” by a big group of researchers from all over the country who “hypothesized” that less antidepressant use by young people “would be associated with a net increase in suicide attempts.”

And they set out determined to prove their case. Only they didn’t come up with much.

But that didn’t stop them one bit!

The “researchers” claimed they found a “small increase” in suicide attempts among teens and young adults since the FDA put out those warnings.

Now here’s the most unbelievable, crazy part of the whole thing. And if it sounds confusing to you, you’re not alone!

It seems that “small increase” in attempted suicides actually involved kids who overdosed on antidepressant drugs!

So were these kids already taking antidepressants and that caused them to become suicidal? That’s the real question that the researchers couldn’t be bothered to explain. Of course, if they did explain it that would probably prove that the FDA warning is critical.

Since the media ran with the story, experts in the field have been hopping mad. They’ve left comments saying the study “should be ignored,” that it’s “fundamentally flawed,” and that the suicide risk for these drugs was greatly “underestimated.”

But here’s what I think might be the real story behind this “study.” Something I found in the small print at the end.” And it explains a lot.

Two of the authors, including the lead investigator, have been receiving money from Bristol-Myers Squibb. One even got funded by the drug company for a study on antidepressant “therapy” for adults!

Now don’t think they would have disclosed this if they didn’t have to. All medical journals require it, and there’s even a “conflict of interest” form to fill out from an international committee to send with your study.

But the worst part of all this isn’t the media running with misleading headlines about a bizarre non-study done by researchers who are funded by Big Pharma. The worst part would be if any well-meaning parents or grandparents think that these drugs will help their kids.

And if because of these sensational headlines, even one child starts on any of these dangerous meds …that will be the real tragedy.

Sources:
“‘Black box’ warning on antidepressants raised suicide attempts” Joan Raymond, June 18, 2014, NBC News, nbcnews.com

“Changes in antidepressant use by young people and suicidal behavior after FDA warnings and media coverage: quasi-experimental study” June 18, 2014, BMJ, bmj.com