title: Sales of antidepressants, suicides and hospital admissions for depression in Veneto Region, Italy, from 2000 to 2005: an ecological study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased prescription of antidepressants has been consistently associated with a decrease in suicide rates in several countries. The aim of this study is to explore antidepressant consumption, suicide rates and admission for depression in the Veneto Region, Italy, in order to see whether the same pattern could be detected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the Italian Ministry of Health (admissions for depression), the Pharmacy Service of a Local Health Unit (antidepressant prescribing) and from the Epidemiological System of the Veneto region (suicide rates) were collected from 2000 to 2005 for the Veneto region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Suicide rates did not show any marked increase but were stable in males and females. Antidepressant prescribing increased exponentially over the period examined, whilst admissions for depression markedly decreased. The trend for an exponential increase in antidepressant prescribing in the Veneto region is shared with other countries and locales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible that the increase in antidepressant prescribing might be associated with earlier treatment of depression, thus decreasing the likelihood of aggravation of depression.
authors.affiliation: Azienda USL Ferrara, Dipartimento di Salute Mentale e Dipendenze Patologiche, Via Ghiara 38, 44100 Ferrara, Italy. b.biancosino@ausl.fe.it.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guaiana
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andretta
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Griez
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biancosino
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grassi