Treatment and Suicide in Severe Depression: a Case-Control Study of Antidepressant Therapy at Last Contact Before Suicide

Treatment at last contact in 89 persons with severe depression who committed suicide was compared with treatment at a corresponding date in 89 matched controls who did not commit suicide. No difference in electroconvulsive therapy use or prescription of antidepressant medication could be shown between the 2 groups. Neither was there a difference in response to treatment as measured in rates of improvement with treatment. However, continued treatment with antidepressant medication after electroconvulsive therapy was more common in the persons who did not commit suicide than in those who did. (21 refs.)