The long-term effects of such drugs, particularly on the brain, are largely unknown.

Study Finds More Children Taking Psychiatric Drugs
The study, experts said, further confirms that pediatricians and child psychiatrists are increasingly turning to pharmacology as the treatment of choice for depression, attention disorder, severe anxiety, obsessive disorder, manic depression and other conditions. The effects of the trend, or whether it is good or bad, are unclear, the experts added.

On one hand, the findings reflect the emergence of new treatments, advances that have spilled into the care of severely troubled children. On the other hand, little research exists to indicate whether psychiatric drugs are being responsibly prescribed or whether they are overprescribed, in part because health insurers are reluctant to pay for "talk" therapies and other nonmedication treatments.

The Food and Drug Administration specifically approves just a few psychiatric medications for children, despite their widespread use. This month, Prozac was approved to treat depression in children ages 7 to 17.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/14/health/14DEPR.html