A new study claims that the antidepressant drug, Prozac, is ineffective at helping women with anorexia nervosa maintain a normal body weight, nor does it reduce the risk of relapsing.

The study goes against years of Prozac prescriptions which were previously believed to help treat the life-threatening eating disorder

According to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), the anti-depressant drug, Prozac, may be prescribed for children as young as eight.

The Agency believes that in preteens afflicted with severe depression and which do not respond to therapy, 10mg of the drug will prove useful

The European Medicines Agency says Prozac can be prescribed for children as young as eight years of age.

According to the BBC, the agency came to the conclusion that benefits outweighed risks in children suffering moderate to severe depression who failed to respond to psychological therapy

Dianette, a contraceptive pill used to treat acne, is being reviewed by the drugs watchdog following concerns it could plunge young women into depression. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) is reviewing the pill after receiving a report that has raised worries about the side-effects.

Charity group April (Adverse Psychiatric Reactions Information Link) reveals that over 100 women who were surveyed during the report indicated that they experienced serious depression while on the drug

According to a major Canadian study, elderly people who take a popular type of antidepressant are almost five times more likely to commit suicide than those on other antidepressants.

The researchers stress that pills such as Prozac, Zoloft and Effexor are lifesavers for most seriously depressed seniors, but over-prescription of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) to older people who do not really need them may expose some to an unnecessary risk of self-harm