Do some antidepressants promote suicide?

✍ Scribed by S. A. Montgomery; R. M. Pinder

• Book ID: 104652501
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 200 KB
• Volume: 92
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00177927

✦ Synopsis

The recent letter of Feuerstein and Jakisch (1986) appeared to accept uncritically the hypothesis that some antidepressants promote suicide. Although this opinion is held by some there is no acceptable evidence from patients to support it. The only evidence that would be acceptable is the demonstration in a prospective double blind trial that a difference in suicide rates was consistently seen. There are some reports that particular antidepressants may be associated with a better reduction in suicidal thoughts than others but no evidence for an increase. There is no evidence at all for a differential suicide attempt rate with antidepressants and the title given to the Feuerstein and Jakisch letter is therefore misleading.

Suicidal thoughts are an integral part of depression and overdosage with antidepressants is unfortunately common.