Antidepressant drugs like Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac may cause some children and adolescents to have suicidal thoughts and actions, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said on Monday.

“I think that we now all believe that there is an increase in suicidal thinking and action that is consistent across all the drugs,’ Dr. Robert Temple, director of the FDA’s office of medical policy, said summarizing the agency’s presentation to a special advisory committee. “This looks like it’s a true bill.’

The agency is holding a public advisory committee on September 13 and 14, 2004 where officials will consider the results of FDA’s analysis of independently classified events and will consider what further regulatory action may be needed with regard to the clinical use of antidepressants in pediatric patients.

In 2002, nearly 11 million children and teenagers were prescribed antidepressants, the New York Times reported.

(via New York Times)