Did Manic-Depressive Patients Who Committed Suicide Receive Prophylactic or Continuation Treatment at the Time?

In this study, 92 manic-depressive patients who committed suicide were examined for whether or not, at the time of death, they had received prophylactic or continuation treatment with lithium or antidepressants. In 28 of the patients, suicide might have been obviated. Guidelines for improvement of suicide prevention include: previous suicide attempts add weight to the indication for prophylactic treatment; prophylactic drug treatment should be supplemented with close psychological support.