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Meds and Teenagers in the News


Extra credit opportunities for Psychology students. Read or listen to one of the following stories. Post your comment. In your comment, discuss your opinion on the issue dealt with in the news story you selected.
A number of stories on the topic of meds and children/teenagers have appeared in the media in recent months. Here is a sampling:
NPR story: Growing up on Meds:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89916932
New York Times editorial - Coming of Age on Antidepressants:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/health/15mind.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1209070976-Ob2f0ejyrOdfhbbdsjQk+Q
"Antidepressant Overload"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89882885
Antidepressants and Suicide:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14210126
Watch PBS "Frontline" episode "The Medicated Child"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/
More extra credit opportunities under the "Schizophrenia Resources" post
Note: Documentary on PBS - Topic: Depression
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Comments

Hamilton3 said…
I found this article interesting. I have always thought that antidepressants were an absolute no for children and teens, due to the fact that they increased suicidal thoughts. Based on this research, saying that suicide rates have increased after the "black box label" has been issued by the FDA, I feel that it may be a better bet for people to have "increased thoughts of suicide" than actually committing the act.
April 24, 2008 at 9:16 PM
ryan3 said…
I think that America is over medicated. I mean, sure, some people need them, and have to deal with the side effects, but pills for things like "Restless Leg Syndrome"?! Anyways, on the article..
Of course being on pills makes you different than you really are. That's pretty much the reason you're on them. I think it would be depressing to have no sense of who you are off the meds. I think that meds should be the last resort(I'm not sure if they are or not right now) to psycogical problems.
April 27, 2008 at 11:47 AM
MMarshall4 said…
Medication is quite certainly out of hand these days. The United States is the only nation in the world where drug companies are allowed to advertise medicine.

I am also quite disturbed by how the psychiatrists where prescribing the medicine, rather than truly mapping out how the child was mentally and precisely categorizing the problem, they guess and check on what will work.

It is pretty important to remember that drugs aren't an easy quick fix, even aspirin, perhaps the most common drug used, has the long term effect of macular degeneration, which leads to blindness.
April 27, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Social Studies Toolbox said…
Recorded points for the three of you!
April 28, 2008 at 4:55 PM
schwartz2 said…
I believe that all of the antidepresants are really what is killing the people that commit suicide. After they have been prescribed as depressed, the doctors just give them pills so they can hopefully feel better. They would most likely be on it for the rest of their lives and it drives them crazy and they commit suicide under all of the strain. I do believe that if a child was prescribed as depressed they shouldn't take the pills but look for another source of treatment. Maybe a phychologist, therapist, who knows. But if children were to take the depression pills it would be like sighning their death warrents.
May 1, 2008 at 8:59 AM
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