The Utilization of Antidepressants – a key Issue in the Prevention of Suicide: an Analysis of 5281 Suicides in Sweden During the Period 1992-1994

Results of a 3-yr.toxicological screening of suicide deaths & use of antidepressants conclude: 1. Depressed patients are under-treated with antidepressants & physicians’ awareness & diagnosis of depression need to be improved 2. Clinical trials of new antidepressants should be designed to reveal differences in thereapeutic efficacy compared to reference tricyclics. A huge increase in the use of antidepressants in Sweden since the 1990s has been paralleled by a significant decrease in suicides.