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Doctors are being officially urged to no longer prescribe some older anti-depressants to people aged under 18, unless a psychiatrist has advised it.
The Medicines Safety Agency, Medsafe, says some of the group of anti-depressants known as tricyclics have been previously approved for use in children and adolescents, but this is no longer recommended.
It says the risks of heart problems with these drugs generally outweigh the benefits.
International attention has recently focused on a newer group of anti-depressants known as SSRIs and a possible link with increased suicidal thoughts in young people.
But Medsafe says all anti-depressant medicine data sheets need to carry new warnings indicating a possible increased risk of suicide, and the need for careful patient monitoring.
The College of Psychiatrists says the new warnings may increase pressure on mental health services.
Dr Alan Fraser, the New Zealand chair of the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists says the prescription of anti-depressant, such as Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitors or S.S.R.I's, is best done by a specialist anyway.
However, he says the new warning is likely to change the way
some GPs handle adolescents with depression.
