Year: 1997 Source: British Journal of Psychiatry, v.170, (1997), p.88 SIEC No: 19980243

The suicide rate from antidepressant overdose among depressed patients prescribed an antidepressant might possibly be as high as 50%, with most deaths from overdose due to tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). These figures contradict Hotopf’s argument which says that while the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are safer in overdose than the older TCAS, such an advantage is unlikely to influence overall cost-effectiveness of treatment given that the incidence of suicide is very low.