Antidepressants and suicidal behaviour in the Psychiatric Emergency Clinic - preliminary report.
OBJECTIVE
In the literature evidence of two claims that have been made about the effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. Ithas been reported that there is: (i) a decreased suicide rate in the population; and (ii) an increased suicide rate in some individuals early in treatment with SSRIs. The aim of this observational study of suicidal behaviour in patients prescribed SSRIs and other antidepressants was to investigate at arrival in Psychiatric Emergency Clinic (PEC) at the University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana the differences in expressed suicidal behaviour regarding prescribed antidepressant medications.


METHODS
From the medical documentation of Psychiatric Emergency Clinic (PEC) at University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana all admissions in the year 2004 were extracted (N=1437). The first subgroup had prescribed SSRIs and the second subgroup had prescribed other antidepressants before arrival in PEC.


RESULTS
During this period 338 patients were examined in PEC who had already been prescribed antidepressants. Among patients with prescribed antidepressants 273 of them had been prescribed SSRIs and 65 had been prescribed other antidepressants. Suicidal behaviour (suicidal ideations, threats and attempts) was observed in 30% of patients with prescribed SSRIs and in 38% of the patients who had been prescribed other antidepressants. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary data about suicidal behaviour and antidepressant usage are in accordance with recent observations where no evidence was found that the risk of suicide or non-fatal self harm in adults prescribed SSRIs was greater than in those prescribed other antidepressants.
Pregelj
Peter
P
University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Studenec 48, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia. peter.pregelj@psih-klinika.si
Ziherl
Slavko
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017524:Slovenia; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors