A baby boy aged only 12 months was prescribed anti-depressants for unknown reasons.

Health bosses at NHS Tayside in Scotland say at least 450 under-18s were given antidepressants between January and May this year alone, reports The Mirror.

Shockingly they also revealed that in 2014 a boy aged just one was prescribed mood-altering drugs. No further details were supplied.

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said that the drugs could be used for people who have a number of different conditions.

She said: “Antidepressants are a type of medication used to treat clinical depression, or prevent it from recurring.

“However, they can also be used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, such as chronic pain and anxiety disorders.

“If appropriate for individual patients, antidepressants are prescribed and often used in combination with therapy to treat more severe depression, or other mental health conditions caused by emotional distress.

“Alternative treatments for depression include talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling.

“Regular exercise has also been shown to be useful for those with mild depression.

“If young people are not feeling themselves, feeling down, or experiencing a low mood, it is important that they seek support by talking to someone they trust, such as their parents, friends, GP, or a support service.”

The most common age group to be given the prescriptions is between 14 and 17.

Nick Harrop, campaigns manager at YoungMinds, said: “Antidepressants can have a place in treating some mental health conditions among young people but they should never be the only course of action.

“It’s important to have a balanced approach to treatment, combining a range of therapies to ensure that the person has the best possible chance of recovery.

“It’s also important that children and parents have comprehensive information about the effects that antidepressants can have.

Fight for Kids shares, more than 17 million children worldwide have been prescribed psychiatric drugs so dangerous that medicine regulatory agencies in Europe, Australia and the United States have issued warnings that antidepressants, for example, can cause suicide and hostility in children and adolescents.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also issued a warning that stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin and Concerta can cause suicidal as well as violent, aggressive and psychotic behaviour, and that these same drugs can cause heart attacks, stroke and sudden death.

Children 5 years old and younger are the fastest-growing segment of the non-adult population prescribed antidepressants in the U.S. Children as young as 4 have attempted suicide while influenced by such drugs and 5 year olds have committed suicide. Between 1995 and 1999, antidepressant use increased 580% in the under 6 population and 151% in the 7-12 age group. In 2004, the FDA ordered that a “black box” label be placed on antidepressants warning that they can cause suicide in children and adolescents.

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