The European Medicines Agency has ruled that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) should not be prescribed for children and adolescents under the age of 18, except for limited, approved uses. Some of the drugs have been approved for obsessive compulsive disorder, and one of them has been approved for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

It is also recommending that strong warnings should be issued throughout the European Union about the potential risk of suicidal behaviour and aggression in these age groups.

The advice …