And the truth is I have no faith in happiness

These are my words, as they usually are.

This week a jury in Charleston convicted 15-year-old Christopher Pittman of killing his grandparents three years ago, shortly after he began a prescription of the popular antidepressant Zoloft. While the jury was correct to reject the assertion that Pittman's actions were both caused by and excusable because of the drug, the defense's tactic of blaming the drug for his actions further clouds the real debate about the use of antidepressants among children. Following the FDA's move four months ago to put its most stringent "black box" warning label on prescriptions of the antidepressant class of S.S.R.I.'s, to which Zoloft belongs, pediatricians are left to reevaluate their reasons for prescribing such medications to young patients.

Public perceptions of antidepressants and those who use them have changed radically during the last 10 years as the sheer number of drugs and prescriptions has risen, but research into their effects on certain populations has not kept pace with this upsurge. The unfortunate consequence is that there are no clear studies about how children respond to neurotransmitter therapy, and thus lawyers employ defenses that distort science and give the public the wrong impression about mental-health issues. Instead of portraying Pittman as a confused boy who needed professional guidance in addition to his prescription, his lawyer Andy Vickery chose to build a case against the drug. Incidentally, Vickery is also involved in lawsuits against Zoloft's maker, Pfizer Inc. As a result, media organizations paint pharmaceuticals that help millions of Americans as dangerous and further negative stereotypes of fully treatable mental illnesses.

Pittman was brought to trial three years after the murders, which in itself is a miscarriage of justice. Along with a violation of his right to a speedy trial, his two concurrent life sentences, which will be served out in an adult prison after he turns 17, will only keep him from getting the help he needs. Zoloft might not be to blame, but the system that rushes drugs through the approval process certainly is.