Fluvoxamine for the Treatment of Child and Adolescent Depression: An Open Label Trial

Objective: Major depressive disorder is a severe disorder that has a significant impact on the psychological and social functioning of children and adolescents. Considering current limitations in the treatment of this disorder, the present study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of fluvoxamine in the treatment of children and adolescents with major depressive disorder. Method: In an open trial, the efficacy of fluvoxamine (50-200 mg/d) on children and adolescents with major depressive disorder or dysthymic disorder was evaluated using the “Children’s Depression Inventory”, the “Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale”, the “Children – Global Assessment Scale”, the “Clinical Global Impression Scale”, and the “Drug Side Effect Questionnaire” at the beginning and 2, 4, and 8 weeks after the beginning of the treatment. The frequency of suicidal ideas was evaluated as well. Results: Treatment with fluvoxamine caused statistically significant improvement in all of the above scales. The frequency of suicidal ideas decreased from 88.9 percent to zero after 8 weeks. No significant side effects were observed. Conclusion: Fluvoxamine can be used as a safe and effective drug in the treatment of major depressive disorder and dysthymic disorder of children and adolescents.