Antidepressants, Depression and Suicide: an Analysis of the San Diego Study

This report includes 247 suicide victims in whom it was possible to perform toxicological analyses. Toxicology was positive in 8% of the subjects. Only 12% of the subjects with a DSM-III diagnosis of Major or Atypical Depression were positive. Lethal blood levels of antidepressants were found in 4% of the subjects and most of those involved multiple drugs. More than half the depressed subjects had seen a physician within 90 days from suicide, but less than half were prescribed antidepressants.