Relationship Between Antiepileptic Drugs and Suicide Attempts in Patients With Bipolar Disorder

The objective of this study was to determine if antiepileptic drugs increase the risk of suicide attempt in patients with bipolar disorder. The study included a cohort of 47,918 patients with bipolar disorder with a minimum 1-year window of information before & after the index date of their illness. Overall, there was no significant difference in suicide attempt rates for patients treated with antiepileptic drugs versus patients not treated with antiepileptic drugs or lithium. In antiepileptic drug-treated subjects, the rate of suicide attempts was significantly higher before treatment than after. In patients receiving no concomitant treatment with other medications, antiepileptic drugs were significantly protective relative to no pharmacologic treatment. (19 refs.) JA