after adjusting for disease severity and co‐morbidity. Although these medication effects should be interpreted with caution due to the cross‐sectional nature of the study design and lack of information on duration and dosage of medication use, they may suggest neuroplastic effects of medication on the brain, both in children and adults. Longitudinal studies of the long‐term protective and potentially negative effects of antidepressants on the developing brain are non‐existent. This knowledge gap is remarkable in the context of more than 60 years of antidepressant prescriptions. Solid conclusions on the impact of this medication on the brain await longitudinal studies, with detailed assessment of symptom profile, duration without treatment, medication dosage and duration of exposure, also taking into account the exposure to other interventions (e.g., CBT) and environmental factors (e.g., early life stress).
