Psychopharmacotherapy of Suicidal Ideation and Behavior (IN: Suicide: Guidelines for Assessment, Management, and Treatment, edited by B Bongar)

This chapter reviews the neurochemical basis of violent behavior including amines & their metabolites, receptor binding & other neuroendocrine measures, & reports on medication use. Impulsive violent behavior is more associated with disturbances of serotonin metabolism than disorders of mood. Not all suicidal behavior is psychopharmacologically responsive. Psychopharmacotherapy must be supplemted by other therapeutic interventions to maximize reduction of self-destructive behavior. (85 refs.)