title: Prescribed Benzodiazepines and Suicide Risk: A Review of the Literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether prescribed benzodiazepines affect one's risk of suicide.
  
  
  METHODS
  A PubMed search of English-language publications from database inception until October 11, 2016, was conducted using the terms benzodiazepine and suicide. References and related articles were also searched to yield additional publications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies were included if they addressed the relationship between suicidal behavior and the prescribed use of either specific benzodiazepines or benzodiazepines as a class. A total of 17 studies were included in this review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of studies found that benzodiazepines were associated with increased suicide risk. This finding was consistent across various populations and different types of research, including a placebo-controlled crossover trial, a laboratory model of suicidal behavior, case-control studies regarding completed suicides on inpatient units, and large naturalistic studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Benzodiazepines appear to cause an overall increase in the risk of attempting or completing suicide. Possible mechanisms of prosuicidal effects may include increases in impulsivity or aggression, rebound or withdrawal symptoms, and toxicity in overdose.
authors.affiliation: The Austen Riggs Center, 25 Main St, PO Box 962, Stockbridge, MA 01262-0962. TylerDoddsMD@gmail.com.|The Austen Riggs Center, Stockbridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Dodds
mesh_terms: D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D001569:Benzodiazepines