Health insurer warns of increasing antidepressant use among minors

According to figures from the Christian health insurance company (CM), nearly 5,000 Belgian minors took antidepressants last year. The CM warns of harmful side effects, such as suicidal tendencies.

The figures show that in the course of last year, 4,917 minors in Belgium received the medication at least once. About 130 of those minors were five years old or younger, writes De Standaard. For very small children, antidepressants are mostly used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders.

The CM is concerned about the figures from 2014, considering there was a decline in antidepressant use among minors between 2003 and 2012. In the last two years, however, there has been an increase of 10%.

"It's the SSRI type of antidepressants that should not be given to children or adolescents," pharmacist Caroline Lebbe told the newspaper. "There are serious doubts about whether the pills actually work, and with minors there is a greater risk of side effects. "

Some of the side effects of SSRIs can include oppositional behavior and aggression, as well as suicidal thoughts.