title: Antidepressant drug consumption and public health indicators in Italy, 1955 to 2000.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the impact of the increasing consumption of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and newer anti-depressants on the following public health indicators: (1) suicide rates, (2) proportion of completed suicides by poisoning with solid or liquid substances, and (3) hospital admissions for depression and proportion of admissions for depression that were first admissions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collected by IMS Health on antidepressants dispensed in Italy from 1983 to 2000 were obtained from the Italian Ministry of Health, while data on suicide deaths from 1955 to 2000 were obtained from the Italian National Institute of Statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Italy from 1983 to 2000, the use of tricyclic antidepressants remained substantially stable, and the use of SSRIs and newer agents dramatically increased. In contrast, suicide rates for males decreased from 1955 to 1974 and subsequently increased, reaching a peak in 1985 and then declining. In females, suicide rates remained substantially stable until 1978. A subsequent increase occurred up to 1985, followed by a steady decline. Suicide by poisoning using solids or liquids dropped by nearly 50% from 1986 to 2000. Admissions to the hospital for depression showed an erratic pattern; however, no decline was observed. No change was observed in the rate of first admissions for depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a reduction in suicides by poisoning using solids or liquids, the analysis of long-term trends in suicide did not suggest that increases in antidepressant prescribing lie behind recent reductions in population suicides. Furthermore, in Italy, newer antidepressants had no impact on the total number of admissions for depression or on the proportion of all admissions that were first admissions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Hull, UK.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guaiana
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andretta
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Corbari
authors.forename: Mersia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirandola
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorio
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: D'Avanzo
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011041:Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors