Citation

Isacsson G. Psychiatr. Danub. 2006; 18(Suppl 1): 78.

Affiliation

Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge M59, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. (Goran.Isacsson@ki.se, goran.isacsson@sll.se)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Facultas Universitatis Studiorum Zagrabiensis - Danube Symposion of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16963990

Abstract

SSRIs have repeatedly been accused of increasing the risk of suicide in depressed individuals. Based on interpretations of adverse events in clinical trials of paroxetine for depressed children, even authorities have warned for SSRIs. On the other hand, research has demonstrated decreased suicide rates correlated with the increased use of SSRIs, also in children. Depression is the foremost risk factor for suicide, and the advent of SSRIs has allowed for a better treatment of depression. SSRIs constitute about 80% of the use of antidepressants in all age groups in Sweden. It must therefore urgently be clarified if SSRIs possess some hidden suicide inducing property. We analysed all 14 857 suicides in Sweden 1992-2000 that were subjected to forensic toxicological screening. We compared the detections of different antidepressants among the suicides with those in a control group of 26 422 deaths by accident or natural causes. When compared to the average of all antidepressants, the Odds Ratios indicated highly significant underrisks for the SSRIs, average risks for tricyclics, and overrisks for venlafaxine and mirtazapine. These results do not support a suicide inducing effect of SSRIs. Separate analyses in the age groups under 15 years and 15-19 years also indicated underrisks for SSRIs. The implications of these findings are that suicide preventive efforts in all age groups should focus on the treatment of the underlying illness, depression, and that SSRIs constitute a safe and effective tool for this.

Language: en