Regions with higher rates of antidepressant use in 1990 or 2000 had higher suicide rates.

And when British health officials announced a sweeping ban of antidepressant use in children, which touched off the debate last year, they specifically exempted Prozac.

Some studies show that the benefits of proper antidepressant use in children and adolescents, including careful monitoring for suicidal behavior, may outweigh the risks.

Matt's death seems more a consequence of systemic failure to help a child with a serious mental illness than a direct result of antidepressant use.

We know much less about the risks associated with antidepressant use.

According to one study, the rate of antidepressant use during pregnancy more than doubled between 1999 and 2003.

They also calculated body mass index and noted alcohol intake, smoking status and antidepressant use.

News reports have linked antidepressant use to a higher risk of suicide, but the research actually shows the drugs may increase thoughts of suicide.

Studies linking antidepressant use to suicide rates appear to point in opposite directions.

The research found the north-west had the highest antidepressant use in 2010-11, with 7.2m prescriptions dispensed.