Abstract
Antidepressant Treatment is Associated With a Reduction in Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts
Mulder R T~~Joyce P R~~et al
A group of 195 patients with depression were assessed for suicidal behaviours in the 6 months prior to treatment. They were prospectively assessed for suicidal behaviours during 6 months of treatment with antidepressants. Patients who made suicide attempts fell from 39 in the 6 months prior to treatment to 20 during treatment. Significant suicide ideation reduced from 47% at baseline to 14% at 3 weeks, remaining below this during the rest of the treatment. 20 patients had emergent suicide ideation; 5 of them had not experienced some level of suicidal behaviour in the 6 months prior to treatment. The risk-benefit ratio for antidepressants seems to favour their use. (17 refs)