AntidepressantsWhat distinguishes a 'good' article from a 'bad' one? In the Feb. 3 Des Moines Register there was an article titled "More Parents, Doctors Refuse to Put Kids on Antidepressants," written by Marilyn Elias. Elias is a popular writer for USA Today and has written on topics such as stress, marriage and health. The article was about the effects on children, aged 18 and under, who take pills for depression. There are many elements that distinguish a "good" item from a "bad" one. be the content, the reader and the credibility. In summary, the article was about the effects that antidepressant pills have on children. The enormous publicity about antidepressants causing suicidal behavior in children is causing more and more parents to hesitate to take their children to psychiatrists and hesitate to write their patients antidepressant prescriptions. Last October, the Food and Drug Administration ordered black labels, the strictest warning, on all antidepressants. Some doctors think these drugs are "speed bumps" and could lead to more suicides. Other doctors think, "For children who really need treatment, a 'wait and see' approach could be dangerous." The percentage rate of antidepressant prescriptions for children has decreased over the past two months. Psychiatrist Bruce Black says, “Children are unhappy for many reasons, and antidepressants are often not the solution.” Content is the most important part of an article. Must be right with the supporting details. Elias addresses many issues and supports them with facts. It provides the opinions of many health experts and their different views on the issue. For example, Elias also displays statistics showing recent percentage changes over different time periods. The figures bring interest and shock to the article and make the reader more interested. Although the article did not explain how antidepressant drugs worked, it did mention their dangers and effects. If a person needed more information, or was more interested, they could gain more information by researching depression further. There are many more treatments than just medications. One can go to therapy sessions or perhaps more counseling from parents would help a child on the right path. There are also many different types of depression. All the information Elias focused on in the article was relevant to the children's topic of antidepressants for depression.