Using NewsHour Extra Feature Stories

Overview: NewsHour Extra features stories can help students identify and interpret key issues in current events. This activity anticipates one class period, but the follow-up essay might be assigned as homework, or in another period.

Warm Up: Use initiating questions to introduce the topic and find out how much your students know.

Main Activity: Have students read NewsHour Extra's feature story and answer the questions on the reading comprehension handout.

Discussion: Use discussion questions to encourage students to think about how the issues outlined in the story affect their lives and express and debate different opinions.

Follow-up: Students can write an 500-word editorial on the topic expressing their views and send it to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org] for possible publication.

Evaluation: Students are graded on their answers to reading comprehension questions and/or their editorial.

Story: U.S. Requires New Warning on Antidepressants for Children, 10/18/04
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec04/antidepressants_10-18.html

Initiating Questions:

1. What is depression?

2. What are the warning signs?

3. How is it treated?

Reading Comprehension Questions: (click here for printout)

1. What did the FDA recently announce about antidepressants?

Antidepressant drugs can cause increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and adolescents, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and must now contain a special warning.

The FDA, which watches over the safety of food and medicine, ruled that within the next few months, antidepressant packages must have a "black box" warning -- the strongest government alert.

The decision comes after years of research and after the government in Great Britain warned doctors not to prescribe antidepressants for teenagers.

2. How many young people taking antidepressants face an elevated risk of suicidal thoughts?

According to FDA analysis, two or three of every 100 young people who are treated with antidepressants may face elevated risk of suicidal thoughts. No child or teen actually committed suicide in the nine trials of antidepressants.

3. What is depression?

It is estimated that between 2 percent and 6 percent of all children and adolescents suffer from depression -- a mood disorder in which sad, lonely, irritable or weary feelings don't go away and prevent a person from living a productive life.

There isn't a medical test for depression but researchers have linked it to an imbalance of neurotransmitters -- the chemical messengers that allow brain cells to communicate with each other.

4. What are SSRIs?

One class of antidepressant drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work by increasing the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, in the brain. The drugs that were linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts were all SSRIs.

In 2002 U.S. psychiatrists, as well as pediatricians and family practitioners, wrote almost 11 million SSRIs and other antidepressant prescriptions for children ages 1 to 17.

5. What is "off-label" use?

Much of the controversy stems from the fact that few antidepressants were created for children. Instead, physicians prescribe them for "off-label" use, meaning that although the drugs have not been systematically studied for safety and effectiveness in treating depression in children or adolescents, doctors still give them to patients based on experience and medication knowledge.

6. Why is the American Psychiatric Association worried about the new antidepressant warning?

Following the FDA announcement, the American Psychiatric Association raised concerns over the new requirement, stating that the warning may deter patients from using antidepressants.

"We restate our continued deep concern that a 'black box' warning on antidepressants may have a chilling effect on appropriate prescribing for patients. This would put seriously ill patients at grave risk," the statement said.

They added that the number of people taking antidepressants has decreased due to the recent controversy.

Discussion Activity (more research might be needed):

1. Do students know enough about depression -- what it is and what the treatment options are?

2. If you were taking antidepressants now, what would you do with this new information?

3. What should be done to alert all students about the link between antidepressants and the risk of increased suicidal thoughts?

Write a 300-500 word essay on any of these topics providing clear examples. Send your completed editorial to NewsHour Extra [extra@newshour.org]. Exceptional essays might be published on our Web site.