Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Antidepressant Regulatory Warnings, Prescription Patterns, Suicidality and Other Aggressive Behaviors in Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gupta, S; Gersing, KR; Erkanli, A; Burt, T
Published in: Psychiatr Q
June 2016

In 2004 the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on the risk of suicidality in children and adolescents receiving antidepressants. This was followed by reports of changes in antidepressant prescription patterns, suicidality and other aggressive behaviors, but debate is continuing regarding the nature and magnitude of these changes. We examined a large physician database for impact of the warning on antidepressant prescriptions, suicidality and other aggressive behaviors in major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders in adult and pediatric patients. We analyzed electronic database covering over 100,000 patients, treated in Pre- (before 2003) and Post- (after 2004) warning periods. We compared strength of the association between the measures and the time period with two tests. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to ascertain the unique effect of each parameter. Of 10,089 MDD (61.0 %) and anxiety disorders (39.0 %) patients, 65.2 % received antidepressant prescription and 16.1 % were pediatric patients. In post-warning period, there was a greater reduction in adult versus pediatric antidepressant prescription rates. Logistic modeling showed greater likelihood of antidepressant prescription in MDD as compared with anxiety disorders in post-warning period. Pediatric patients were more likely than adults to receive fluoxetine during the post-warning period. There was an overall reduction in suicidality and other aggressive behaviors in the post-warning period. Regulatory warnings may have had an impact on antidepressant benefit/risk assessment and consequent utilization, therapeutic effects, and adverse events. Our observations suggest that psychiatrists may heed regulatory warnings, but may also exert professional independence and discrimination in their application.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Psychiatr Q

DOI

EISSN

1573-6709

Publication Date

June 2016

Volume

87

Issue

2

Start / End Page

329 / 342

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • United States Food and Drug Administration
  • United States
  • Suicide
  • Psychiatry
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Drug Labeling
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Gupta, S., Gersing, K. R., Erkanli, A., & Burt, T. (2016). Antidepressant Regulatory Warnings, Prescription Patterns, Suicidality and Other Aggressive Behaviors in Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders. Psychiatr Q, 87(2), 329–342. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-015-9389-8
Gupta, Saurabh, Kenneth Ronald Gersing, Alaattin Erkanli, and Tal Burt. “Antidepressant Regulatory Warnings, Prescription Patterns, Suicidality and Other Aggressive Behaviors in Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders.Psychiatr Q 87, no. 2 (June 2016): 329–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-015-9389-8.
Gupta, Saurabh, et al. “Antidepressant Regulatory Warnings, Prescription Patterns, Suicidality and Other Aggressive Behaviors in Major Depressive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders.Psychiatr Q, vol. 87, no. 2, June 2016, pp. 329–42. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s11126-015-9389-8.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychiatr Q

DOI

EISSN

1573-6709

Publication Date

June 2016

Volume

87

Issue

2

Start / End Page

329 / 342

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • United States Food and Drug Administration
  • United States
  • Suicide
  • Psychiatry
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Drug Labeling