Inadequacy of Antidepressant Treatment for Patients With Major Depression who are at Risk for Suicidal Behavior

180 inpatients who met DSM-III-R criteria for a major depressive episode were studied to determine if suicide attempters with major depression received more intensive treatment than depressed patients who had not attempted. A large majority of the depressed patients with a history of suicide attempts, who were at higher risk for future suicide & suicide attempts, received inadequate treatment. Similarly, most of the patients at lower risk for suicide attempts also received inadequate treatment.