The study found that an estimated 1.4 million children received antidepressant medication in 2002, compared to 0.9 million in 1997. The percentage of child users of antidepressants increased from 1.3 percent to 1.8 percent over this period. Adolescent use, which was 2.1 percent in 1997 compared to 3.9 percent in 2002, accounted for the increase; there was no change in use among children younger than 13 years old. Among adolescents the use-rate remained stable during the 2000-2002 period. The increase was due to the prescribing of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other newer antidepressants. The use of tricyclic antidepressants remained stable in adolescents and declined in prepubertal children. Antidepressant use was similar among males and females and was higher among Whites than Blacks and Hispanics. The study concluded that the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant medications continued to increase in adolescents in the late 1990s and until 2000, with no additional increase through 2002, and use remained stable in prepubertal children. These findings were obtained through an analysis of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) database for the years 1997-2002. The MEPS is an annual survey of a nationally representative sample of civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. households, which is conducted by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The overall response rate ranged between 64 percent and 68 percent. 4 tables, 1 figure, and 33 references