Harvard Mental Health Letter: July 2007

While there is a very small risk of suicide in adolescents who take antidepressants, they are also beneficial to many teenagers with depression. All factors should be weighed in treatment decisions, and patients should be monitored carefully.

Informal evidence shows that alcoholics who choose to attend AA meetings do better than those who do not, and the longer they are involved in attending meetings, the better their chances of remaining abstinent.

Research suggests that for patients who are starting treatment for depression, their type of attachment anxiety should be taken into consideration as a factor in determining the best course of treatment.

A study found that some mental health patients who were given a choice of different types of treatment for depression, and who received their first preference, had a better overall working relationship with their therapist.

A study found that many adolescents who are prescribed medication give or sell the drugs to other teens. Some of this diversion is recreational, but some may be for therapeutic purposes or performance enhancement.