Resource Tag: ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUGS

This article reviews the use of antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of acute mania & as maintenance treatment. The evidence for the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs, including their effects on suicidal behaviours, is discussed. Clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, & other atypic antipsychotics are reviewed. (59 refs.)

These letters to the editor comment on a previous article by Mann et al (2005) on suicide prevention strategies. Tondo & Baldessarini note the lack of discussion of disorders other than major depression & treatments other than antidepressants. Knox & Caine provide more information on the Air Force Suicide Prevention Program, disputing Mann et al’s […]

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For commentary on this article and reactions to these findings, please see SIEC #2005-0085

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For the original article by Sernyak et al., please see SIEC #2005-0078

The authors present a case study in which a patient being treated with clozapine was found dead with toxic levels of the drug in her blood. While the coroner expressed concern over the possibility of suicide, the authors argue that the elevated drug concentrations might instead have been caused by a postmortem redistribution of clozapine […]

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For Part 1 of this series, please see SIEC #2005-0439

For Part 2 of this series, please see SIEC #2005-0438

Published in “The Suicidal Process: Challenges for Treatment and Prevention”

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Please see SIEC #2003-1344 for the citation to the Meltzer et al article.

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The safety & efficacy of risperidone & olanzapine were compared in a double-blind trial that used doses widely accepted in clinical trials. During the study, serious adverse events were experienced by 8.0% of the risperidone participants & 11.6% of the olanzapine participants. The second most frequently recorded serious adverse event was suicide attempt, which was […]

For a related article on treatment & suicide risks in affective disorders, please see SIEC #2004-0558

In order to model the impact of increased clozapine prescribing on lives saved & resource utilization, a model was built to compare current levels of clozapine prescribing with a scenario in which all suitable patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia received clozapine. It was estimated that an average of 53 lives could be saved in the UK […]

The authors discuss the contributions of a prominent central serotonin subtype, the 5-HT2C receptor, to the actions of serotonin. Evidence for a role of these receptors in affect regulation, gathered from observations of the brains of suicide victims with a history of depression, is explored. (90 refs)

This review brings together evidence from controlled studies regarding the benefits provided by antipsychotic medications against suicide & suicide attemtps in schizophrenia. (43 refs)