Suicides by Drug Poisoning Among the Elderly in Sweden 1969-1996

This study examined whether altered prescription patterns are associated with changes in the rates of drug-related suicides in Swedish elderly. An ecological study was performed in which rates of suicide by drug poisoning were related to prescription sales of different psychotropic drugs. Rates of suicide using benzodiazepines increased despite decreasing prescription sales. Decreasing tricyclic antidepressant sales & increasing selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor sales were paralleled by decreasing rates of suicides employing antidepressants. The fatality ratio remained more or less unchanged for analgesics among the elderly during the study period. (27 refs.) JA