Antidepressant treatment is associated with a reduction in suicidal ideation and suicide attempts

• Published in: Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica 2008-08, Vol.118 (2), p.116-122
• Main Authors: Mulder, R. T., Joyce, P. R., Frampton, C. M. A., Luty, S. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Antidepressants; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - therapeutic use; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; depression; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Female; Fluoxetine - therapeutic use; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Nortriptyline - therapeutic use; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prospective Studies; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales - statistics & numerical data; Psychiatry; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Risk factors; Suicide; Suicide - prevention & control; Suicide - psychology; Suicide - statistics & numerical data; suicide behaviours; Suicides & suicide attempts; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0001-690X; 1600-0447
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01179.x

Objective:  To measure changes in suicidal behaviours during 6 months of treatment with antidepressants. Method:  A group of depressed patients (n = 195) were assessed for suicidal behaviours in the 6 months prior to treatment. They were prospectively assessed for suicidal behaviours during 6 months of treatment with antidepressants. Results:  Patients who made suicide attempts fell from 39 in the 6 months prior to treatment to 20 during treatment. Significant suicidal ideation reduced from 47% at baseline to 14% at 3 weeks remaining below this during the rest of the treatment. Twenty patients had emergent suicidal ideation; five of them had not experienced some level of suicidal behaviour in the 6 months prior to treatment. Conclusion:  Suicide behaviours are common in depressed out‐patients. Antidepressant treatment is associated with a rapid and significant reduction in suicidal behaviours. The rate of emergent suicidal behaviour was low and the risk benefit ratio for antidepressants appears to favour their use.