Gillick competence and antidepressants

[RoyalCorgi]

Just saw this news story in the Guardian:

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/04/gps-giving-antidepressants-to-children-against-guidelines

Apparently NICE guidelines say that under-18s should not be prescribed anti-depressants, but GPs are prescribing them anyway.

The issue seems to be that there aren't any antidepressants licensed in the UK for use on under-18s, so doctors are supposed to exercise caution.

But hell - if under-18s can choose to take unlicensed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, why not antidepressants? Isn't that the argument - that young people know their own minds and their own bodies and are therefore capable of making medical decisions for themselves?

The thing is that this has nothing to do with gillikic competence as they aren't licensed due to a whole bunch of scandals during the 90s when big pharma was found to have been falsifying safely data on there use in kids. Turns out that many SSRIs cause anxiety, self harm, suicidal thoughts/actions and in more extreme cases psychosis in a large proportion of adolescents. A couple of drugs were so dangerous they were removed from the market. As such the NHS and nice insist on a level of safety and effectiveness studies that no antidepressants has passed since, before they will licence them for children.
It took years of whistle-blowers and thousands of dead teenagers and multimillion £/$ law suits to get action on this and a promise that "lessons would be learned ". It's clear however that lessons haven't been learned and yet again children's live are being damaged and class action lawsuits are coming and so will sweeping changes and stringent safeguarding but at what a cost to kids

The fucking hypocrisy of the Guardian is unforgivable.

Actually, your link states that under 18s need to be assessed by a psychiatrist and take them alongside talking therapies, not that it's not advised at all. It also states they aren't licensed for anxiety other than OCD not that they aren't licensed at all. Presumably that also means they are still licensed for depression and other mood disorders. And medication is prescribed off license all of time not just for the children but for women and pregnant women and new medication. My son was prescribed off license US medication for his epilepsy. In his case it meant the UK hasn't tested it yet not that it doesn't work or is dangerous.

I can't decide if it is that or being rather stupid. Not just on this issue, they often seem unable to apply knowledge or insights from one scenario to another.

Thanks that's shocking and I guess that's why it's so important they follow the guidelines and refer them. I know even adults can get suicidal thought they didn't have before with certain anti-depressants, but looks like the risk seems much greater with under 18s.

I work in high schools, and it’s not unusual to find the children on antidepressants. There’s more on those than the pill these days, IME.

To me all of this, rise in AD use and gender identity issues points directly to a massive failure in our society for children.

Yes, and there's no quick fix

I dont think this is fair as gps dont prescribe puberty blockers and cross sex hormones. I think that would be consultant led.
I am surprised about anti depressents being given by gps to this age group though as there is a suicide risk. My son is monitored by a consultant, who writes to the gp so the gp can fill out the prescription.