Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Antidepressants and the Risk of Suicide: a Controlled Forensic Database Study of 14,857 Suicides

The hypothesis that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants may have a suicide emergent effect, particularly in children & adolescents, was tested. Detections of different antidepressants in the forensic toxicological screening of 14,857 suicides were compared with those in 26,522 cases of death by accident or natural causes in Sweden 1992-2000. There were 3411 detections of antidepressants in the suicide victims & 1538 in the controls. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors had lower odds ratios than the other antidepressants. In the 52 suicides under 15 years of age, no selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were detected. These drugs had lower relative risk in suicides compared with other antidepressants in the 15-19-year age group. (22 refs.)