Citation

Donovan S, Clayton A, Beeharry M, Jones S, Kirk C, Waters K, Gardner D, Faulding J, Madeley R. Br. J. Psychiatry 2000; 177: 551-556.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.177.6.551

PMID

11102331

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is not clear if the frequency of deliberate self-harm (DSH) is the same in patients taking different pharmacological classes of antidepressant drugs. AIMS: To compare the frequency of DSH in patients who had been prescribed a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prior to the DSH event.

METHOD: This was a prospective study in 2776 consecutive DSH cases attending an accident and emergency department. The incidence of DSH in TCA-treated cases and SSRI-treated cases is expressed as number of DSH events per 10 000 prescriptions of each antidepressant.

RESULTS: Significantly more DSH events occurred following the prescription of an SSRI than that of a TCA (P<0.001). The occurrence of DSH was highest with fluoxetine and lowest with amitriptyline.

CONCLUSIONS: Merely prescribing safer-in-overdose antidepressants is unlikely to reduce the overall morbidity from DSH.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic/*poisoning; Cohort Studies; Drug Overdose/psychology; Female; Humans; Male; Medical Records; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/*poisoning; Self Mutilation/*chemically induced