Numbers of UK kids on antidepressants has doubled

Kate Loveys
Mail Online
November 11, 2011

Soaring numbers of children as young as five are being chemically coshed with antipsychotic drugs, an investigation by Channel 4 News has found.

A staggering 15,000 children under the age of 18 were prescribed the medication last year by their GPs – double the number a decade ago.

The drugs, such as Risperdal and Seroquel, are meant for serious mental conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and psychosis.

But experts believe they are increasingly used as a chemical cosh to control children’s behaviour, for example to calm youngsters with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism.

Read full report here

This article was posted: Friday, November 11, 2011 at 7:46 am

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