AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence of effect of SSRIs in children and emerging evidence of harm .
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders ( ASD ) are characterised by abnormalities in social interaction and communication skills , as well as stereotypic behaviours and restricted activities and interests .
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) are prescribed for the treatment of conditions often comorbid with ASD such as depression , anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours .
OBJECTIVES To determine if treatment with an SSRI:1 .
improves the core features of autism ( social interaction , communication and behavioural problems);2 .
improves other non-core aspects of behaviour or function such as self-injurious behaviour;3 .
improves the quality of life of adults or children and their carers;4 .
has short- and long-term effects on outcome ; 5 .
causes harm .
The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: Measures of internal consistency
We examined the construction of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale ( Y-BOCS ) and performance of subscale items based on data from 204 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) who participated in a multicenter drug treatment study . Factor analysis was used to examine the relationship among the 10 items that make up the Y-BOCS instrument . Models were computed in which both two- and three-factor solutions were estimated . Within the two-factor solution analyses , the factor distribution was not so consistent as in the three-factor solution analyses , and a shift in the factor distribution was noted after treatment . In the three-factor solution analyses , an independent resistance construct emerged in addition to the obsessive and compulsive constructs . Examination of the postreatment factor scores showed that the Y-BOCS resistance items did not assess OCD symptom change as sensitively as the rest of the Y-BOCS items did
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence of effect of SSRIs in children and emerging evidence of harm .
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders ( ASD ) are characterised by abnormalities in social interaction and communication skills , as well as stereotypic behaviours and restricted activities and interests .
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ( SSRIs ) are prescribed for the treatment of conditions often comorbid with ASD such as depression , anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviours .
OBJECTIVES To determine if treatment with an SSRI:1 .
improves the core features of autism ( social interaction , communication and behavioural problems);2 .
improves other non-core aspects of behaviour or function such as self-injurious behaviour;3 .
improves the quality of life of adults or children and their carers;4 .
has short- and long-term effects on outcome ; 5 .
causes harm .