When Prozac arrived in the U.S. in 1987, with its catchy, computer-generated name and massive marketing campaign, it didn't just take over the market for antidepressants; it expanded that market many times over, quickly becoming one of the world's best-selling drugs. Although originally approved only for adults with "symptoms of depressive illness," Prozac and its imitators (Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Luvox) are taken today by millions of patients--including more and more children--who don't necessarily meet the textbook criteria for clinical depression. Veterinarians have even made Prozac their No. 1 choice for dogs with the blues.
Prozac and the other so-called SSRIs have...