The list of drugs that have been reported to cause depression is rather long and diverse. Drugs used to treat high blood pressure, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, drugs used to treat cancer, and others have all been reported to cause depression. One drug used to treat a severe form of acne, Accutane (also known as isotretinoin) has been associated with depression. It is still unclear if Accutane can cause depression, however. The problem is that depression and acne are both very common in teenagers.
Some studies estimate that as many as 15 percent of teenagers aged 15-18 years have clinical depression. Most studies suggest that up to 85-95 percent of teenagers have some form of acne. So both depression and acne are common during the teenage years. There have been a couple of attempts to see if Accutane was causing depression or if it simply was being used in a population of people who have depression. Unfortunately, we do not have an answer. So, while we cannot say whether Accutane can cause depression, it is a good idea to watch for it nonetheless.
Although Accutane is intended to be used on the most severe forms of acne, its use has increased in patients with milder forms of the disease. The number of prescriptions for Accutane has steadily increased. Approximately 70,000 prescriptions were filled for Accutane in 1989, and over 210,000 were filled in 1999. In addition to the concerns about depression with Accutane use, there is another serious concern with the use of the drug. Accutane can cause serious birth defects if taken by women around the time of conception. From 1992 to 2000, 1,995 women took Accutane early in their pregnancy. There were 383 infants born to those women and 162 had some form of birth defect. Accutane can be very effective in the treatment of acne, but its use should be limited to moderate and severe forms of acne that are not responding to other treatments.
17. Kessler RC. Avenevoli S. Ries Merikangas K. Mood disorders in children and adolescents: an epidemiologic perspective. [Review] [102 refs] Biological Psychiatry. 49(12):1002-14, 2001 Jun 15.
23. Smithard A. Glazebrook C. Williams HC. Acne prevalence, knowledge about acne and psychological morbidity in mid-adolescence: a community-based study. British Journal of Dermatology. 145(2):274-9, 2001 Aug.
http://www.accutaneaction.com/ScientificStudies/AAD2002UseofIsotretinoin.pdf
