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Huo S, Bruckner TA, Xiong GL, Cooper E, Wade A, Neikrug AB, Gagliardi JP, McCarron R. Antidepressant Prescription Behavior Among Primary Care Clinician Providers After an Interprofessional Primary Care Psychiatric Training Program. ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH 2023; 50:926-935. [PMID: 37598371 PMCID: PMC10543424 DOI: 10.1007/s10488-023-01290-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Primary care providers (PCPs) are increasingly called upon to screen for and treat depression. However, PCPs often lack the training to diagnose and treat depression. We designed an innovative 12-month evidence and mentorship-based primary care psychiatric training program entitled the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine Train New Trainers Primary Care Psychiatry (TNT PCP) Fellowship and examined whether this training impacted clinician prescription rates for antidepressants. We retrieved information on 18,844 patients and 192 PCPs from a publicly insured health program in Southern California receiving care between 2017 and 2021. Of the 192 PCPs, 42 received TNT training and 150 did not. We considered a patient as exposed to the provider's TNT treatment if they received care from a provider after the provider completed the 1-year fellowship. We utilized the number of antidepressant prescriptions per patient, per quarter-year as the dependent variable. Linear regression models controlled for provider characteristics and time trends. Robustness checks included clustering patients by provider identification. After PCPs completed TNT training, "exposed" patients received 0.154 more antidepressant prescriptions per quarter-year relative to expected levels (p < 0.01). Clustering of standard errors by provider characteristics reduced precision of the estimate (p < 0.10) but the direction and magnitude of the results were unchanged. Early results from the UCI TNT PCP Fellowship demonstrate enhanced antidepressant prescription behavior in PCPs who have undergone TNT training. A novel, and relatively low-cost, clinician training program holds the potential to empower PCPs to optimally deliver depression treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shutong Huo
- University of California Irvine, Program in Public Health, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Tim A. Bruckner
- University of California Irvine, Program in Public Health, Irvine, CA USA
- Public Health & Planning, Policy and Design, University of California, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Glen L. Xiong
- University of California, Davis, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Emma Cooper
- University of California Irvine Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Orange, CA USA
| | - Amy Wade
- Inland Empire Health Plan, Rancho Cucamonga, CA USA
| | - Ariel B. Neikrug
- University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Jane P. Gagliardi
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC USA
| | - Robert McCarron
- University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA USA
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Spottswood M, Lim CT, Davydow D, Huang H. Improving Suicide Prevention in Primary Care for Differing Levels of Behavioral Health Integration: A Review. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:892205. [PMID: 35712115 PMCID: PMC9196265 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.892205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Importance Suicide prevention implementation in primary care is needed due to the increasing rate of suicide in the past few decades, particularly for young and marginalized people. Primary care is the most likely point of contact for suicidal patients in the healthcare system. Attention to the level of medical integration with behavioral health is vital to suicide prevention and is applied throughout this review. Methods A narrative review was performed. Observations Many interventions help improve suicide prevention care. PCP education, screening, safety planning/lethal means reduction, care transitions, psychotherapy, and medication management are all evidence-based strategies. Additionally, the pragmatic topics of financing suicide prevention, supporting providers, enacting suicide postvention, and preparing for future directions in the field at each level of primary care/behavioral health integration are discussed. Conclusions and Relevance The findings are clinically relevant for practices interested in implementing evidence-based suicide prevention strategies by attending to the behavioral health/medical interface. Leveraging the patient/provider relationship to allow for optimal suicide prevention care requires clinics to structure provider time to allow for emotionally present care. Defining clear roles for staff and giving attention to provider well being are also critical factors to supporting primary care-based suicide prevention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Spottswood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Medical Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Community Health Centers of Burlington, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Christopher T. Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Dimitry Davydow
- Executive Leadership, Comprehensive Life Resources, Tacoma, WA, United States
| | - Hsiang Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, United States
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Roos Af Hjelmsäter E, Ros A, Gäre BA, Westrin Å. Deficiencies in healthcare prior to suicide and actions to deal with them: a retrospective study of investigations after suicide in Swedish healthcare. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e032290. [PMID: 31831542 PMCID: PMC6924838 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The overall aim of this study was to aggregate the conclusions of all investigations conducted after suicides reported to the supervisory authority in Sweden in 2015, and to identify deficiencies in healthcare found in these investigations; the actions proposed to deal with the deficiencies; the level of the organisational hierarchy (micro-meso-macro) in which the deficiencies and actions were situated; and outcomes of the supervisory authority's decisions. DESIGN AND SETTING This is a retrospective study of all reports from Swedish primary and secondary healthcare after suicide to the regulatory authority in Sweden in 2015. RESULTS In 55% (n=240) of cases, healthcare providers reported healthcare deficiencies that contributed to suicide; these deficiencies were primarily in 'suicide risk assessment' and 'treatment'. Actions aimed at preventing new suicides were proposed in 80% of cases (n=347). By far, the most frequent actions were 'education and competence', present in 52% of cases (n=227) and did not much correspond with identified deficiencies. Sixty-five per cent of the deficiencies and actions were at microlevel, while the remainders were at mesolevel. In 65% (n=284) of cases, the supervisory authority approved the investigation without further requirements. CONCLUSIONS The most common identified deficiencies were related to care in the immediate interface between patient and staff. Actions proposed to prevent new suicides were centred on single educational interventions without distinctive sustainable effects in the organisations and usually did not correspond with the identified deficiencies. Future research should examine if application of a framework based on knowledge of the suicide process, suicide prevention strategies and patient safety would enable more sophisticated investigations that could facilitate progress on suicide prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Roos Af Hjelmsäter
- Höglandssjukhuset, Region Jönköping, Eksjö, Sweden
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, The School of Health and Welfare Jönköping University, Jönköping University, Jonkoping, Sweden
| | - Axel Ros
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, The School of Health and Welfare Jönköping University, Jönköping University, Jonkoping, Sweden
- Ryhov, Region Jönköping, Jonkoping, Sweden
| | - Boel Andersson Gäre
- The Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, Hogskolan i Jonkoping Halsohogskolan, Jonkoping, Sweden
- Futurum, Landstinget i Jonkopings lan, Jonkoping, Sweden
| | - Åsa Westrin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Office for Psychiatry and Habilitation, Psychiatry Research Skåne, Region Skåne, Lund, Sweden
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Morin RT, Li Y, Mackin RS, Whooley MA, Conwell Y, Byers AL. Comorbidity Profiles Identified in Older Primary Care Patients Who Attempt Suicide. J Am Geriatr Soc 2019; 67:2553-2559. [PMID: 31469184 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.16126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To identify comorbidity profiles of older patients last seen in primary care before a suicide attempt and assess attempt and clinical factors (eg, means and lethality of attempt) associated with these profiles. DESIGN Cohort study and latent class analysis using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national data (2012-2014). SETTING All VA medical centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS A total of 2131 patients 65 years and older who were last seen by a primary care provider before a first documented suicide attempt. MEASUREMENTS Fatal suicide attempt and means were identified using the National Suicide Data Repository. Nonfatal attempt was defined using the National Suicide Prevention Applications Network. Medical and psychiatric diagnoses and other variables were determined from electronic medical records. RESULTS Patients (mean age = 74.4 y; 98.2% male) were clustered into five classes based on medical and psychiatric diagnoses: Minimal Comorbidity (23.2%); Chronic Pain-Osteoarthritis (30.1%); Depression-Chronic Pain (22.9%); Depression-Medical Comorbidity (16.5%); and High Comorbidity (7.3%). The patients in the Minimal Comorbidity and Chronic Pain-Osteoarthritis classes were most likely to attempt fatally compared with classes with a higher burden of comorbidities. Overall, 61% of the sample attempted fatally, and 82.5% of suicide decedents used firearms. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that most comorbidity profiles (>50%) in primary care patients attempting suicide were characterized by minimal depression diagnoses and fatal attempts, mostly with firearms. These findings suggest that more than a depression diagnosis contributes to risk and that conversations about firearm safety by medical providers may play an important role in suicide intervention and prevention. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2553-2559, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth T Morin
- SFVAMC, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California
| | - Yixia Li
- SFVAMC, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California.,Northern California Institute for Research and Education, San Francisco, California
| | - R Scott Mackin
- SFVAMC, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Mary A Whooley
- Department of Medicine (Division of Internal Medicine), University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Yeates Conwell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, Rochester, New York
| | - Amy L Byers
- SFVAMC, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, California.,Department of Mental Health Service, University of California, San Francisco, California
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Malakouti SK, Nojomi M, Poshtmashadi M, Hakim Shooshtari M, Mansouri Moghadam F, Rahimi-Movaghar A, Afghah S, Bolhari J, Bazargan-Hejazi S. Integrating a suicide prevention program into the primary health care network: a field trial study in Iran. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:193729. [PMID: 25648221 PMCID: PMC4306260 DOI: 10.1155/2015/193729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe and evaluate the feasibility of integrating a suicide prevention program with Primary Health Care services and evaluate if such system can improve screening and identification of depressive disorder, reduce number of suicide attempters, and lower rate of suicide completion. METHODOLOGY This was a quasi-experimental trial in which one community was exposed to the intervention versus the control community with no such exposure. The study sites were two counties in Western Iran. The intervention protocol called for primary care and suicide prevention collaboration at different levels of care. The outcome variables were the number of suicides committed, the number of documented suicide attempts, and the number of identified depressed cases. RESULTS We identified a higher prevalence of depressive disorders in the intervention site versus the control site (χ (2) = 14.8, P < 0.001). We also found a reduction in the rate of suicide completion in the intervention region compared to the control, but a higher prevalence of suicide attempts in both the intervention and the control sites. CONCLUSION Integrating a suicide prevention program with the Primary Health Care network enhanced depression and suicide surveillance capacity and subsequently reduced the number of suicides, especially in rural areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Kazem Malakouti
- Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Nojomi
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-5988, Iran
| | - Marjan Poshtmashadi
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mitra Hakim Shooshtari
- Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Iranian Institute for Reduction of High-Risk Behaviors, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Susan Afghah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Bolhari
- Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahrzad Bazargan-Hejazi
- Department of Psychiatry, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, 1731 East 120th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, CA, USA
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Abstract
Suicide is a public health problem affecting people across the lifespan. It is currently the 10th leading cause of death, with rates having remained relatively flat for the past century. This article summarizes the problem of suicide and suicidal behavior along with suicide prevention efforts in the United States. Part 1 provides an overview of the epidemiology of suicide, including groups most at risk of suicide and suicidal behavior. Part 2 provides a review of common risk factors, organized by developmental life stage. A brief discussion of the lesser well-researched area of protective factors follows. Part 3 provides an overview of suicide prevention today, including the major types of prevention strategies, their successes, including means restriction, quality improvement in behavioral services, and comprehensive programs; and limitations to date, such as a lack of evidence for impact on actual deaths or behavior, small sample sizes, and low base rates. Finally, part 4 discusses challenges and future directions with an eye toward the great many opportunities that exist for prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah M Stone
- Division of Violence Prevention (DVP), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Alex E Crosby
- Division of Violence Prevention (DVP), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study explores the spatiotemporal variations of suicide across Australia from 1986 to 2005, discusses the reasons for dynamic changes, and considers future suicide research and prevention strategies. DESIGN Suicide (1986-2005) and population data were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. A series of analyses were conducted to examine the suicide pattern by sex, method and age group over time and geography. RESULTS Differences in suicide rates across sex, age groups and suicide methods were found across geographical areas. Male suicides were mainly completed by hanging, firearms, gases and self-poisoning. Female suicides were primarily completed by hanging and self-poisoning. Suicide rates were higher in rural areas than in urban areas (capital cities and regional centres). Suicide rates by firearms were higher in rural areas than in urban areas, while the pattern for self-poisoning showed the reverse trend. Suicide rates had relatively stable trend for the total population and those aged between 15 and 54, while suicide decreased among 55 years and over during the study period. There was a decrease in suicides by firearms during the study period especially after 1996 when a new firearm control law was implemented, while suicide by hanging continued to increase. Areas with a high proportion of indigenous population (eg, northwest of Queensland and top north of the Northern Territory) had shown a substantial increase in suicide incidence after 1995. CONCLUSIONS Suicide rates varied over time and space and across sexes, age groups and suicide methods. This study provides detailed patterns of suicide to inform suicide control and prevention strategies for specific subgroups and areas of high and increased risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qi
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew Page
- School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Shilu Tong
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
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Rihmer Z, Gonda X, Kapitany B, Dome P. Suicide in Hungary-epidemiological and clinical perspectives. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2013; 12:21. [PMID: 23803500 PMCID: PMC3698008 DOI: 10.1186/1744-859x-12-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Annual suicide rates of Hungary were unexpectedly high in the previous century. In our narrative review, we try to depict, with presentation of the raw data, the main descriptive epidemiological features of the Hungarian suicide scene of the past decades. Accordingly, we present the annual suicide rates of the period mentioned and also data on how they varied by gender, age, urban vs. rural living, seasons, marital status, etc. Furthermore, the overview of trends of other factors that may have influenced suicidal behavior (e.g., alcohol and tobacco consumption, antidepressant prescription, unemployment rate) in the past decades is appended as well. Based on raw data and also on results of the relevant papers of Hungarian suicidology we tried to explain the observable trends of the Hungarian suicide rate. Eventually, we discuss the results, the possibilities, and the future tasks of suicide prevention in Hungary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Rihmer
- Department of Clinical and Theoretical Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Gusmão R, Quintão S, McDaid D, Arensman E, Van Audenhove C, Coffey C, Värnik A, Värnik P, Coyne J, Hegerl U. Antidepressant Utilization and Suicide in Europe: An Ecological Multi-National Study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66455. [PMID: 23840475 PMCID: PMC3686718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research concerning the association between use of antidepressants and incidence of suicide has yielded inconsistent results and is the subject of considerable controversy. The first aim is to describe trends in the use of antidepressants and rates of suicide in Europe, adjusted for gross domestic product, alcohol consumption, unemployment, and divorce. The second aim is to explore if any observed reduction in the rate of suicide in different European countries preceded the trend for increased use of antidepressants. METHODS Data were obtained for 29 European countries between 1980 and 2009. Pearson correlations were used to explore the direction and magnitude of associations. Generalized linear mixed models and Poisson regression distribution were used to clarify the effects of antidepressants on suicide rates, while an autoregressive adjusted model was used to test the interaction between antidepressant utilization and suicide over two time periods: 1980-1994 and 1995-2009. FINDINGS An inverse correlation was observed in all countries between recorded Standardised Death Rate (SDR) for suicide and antidepressant Defined Daily Dosage (DDD), with the exception of Portugal. Variability was marked in the association between suicide and alcohol, unemployment and divorce, with countries depicting either a positive or a negative correlation with the SDR for suicide. Every unit increase in DDD of an antidepressant per 1000 people per day, adjusted for these confounding factors, reduces the SDR by 0.088. The correlation between DDD and suicide related SDR was negative in both time periods considered, albeit more pronounced between 1980 and 1994. CONCLUSIONS Suicide rates have tended to decrease more in European countries where there has been a greater increase in the use of antidepressants. These findings underline the importance of the appropriate use of antidepressants as part of routine care for people diagnosed with depression, therefore reducing the risk of suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Gusmão
- CEDOC, Departamento de Saúde Mental, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal ; Departamento de Psiquiatria e Saúde Mental, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Lisboa, Portugal
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10
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Qi X, Hu W, Page A, Tong S. Spatial clusters of suicide in Australia. BMC Psychiatry 2012; 12:86. [PMID: 22824367 PMCID: PMC3464902 DOI: 10.1186/1471-244x-12-86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding the spatial distribution of suicide can inform the planning, implementation and evaluation of suicide prevention activity. This study explored spatial clusters of suicide in Australia, and investigated likely socio-demographic determinants of these clusters. METHODS National suicide and population data at a statistical local area (SLA) level were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the period of 1999 to 2003. Standardised mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated at the SLA level, and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques were applied to investigate the geographical distribution of suicides and detect clusters of high risk in Australia. RESULTS Male suicide incidence was relatively high in the northeast of Australia, and parts of the east coast, central and southeast inland, compared with the national average. Among the total male population and males aged 15 to 34, Mornington Shire had the whole or a part of primary high risk cluster for suicide, followed by the Bathurst-Melville area, one of the secondary clusters in the north coastal area of the Northern Territory. Other secondary clusters changed with the selection of cluster radius and age group. For males aged 35 to 54 years, only one cluster in the east of the country was identified. There was only one significant female suicide cluster near Melbourne while other SLAs had very few female suicide cases and were not identified as clusters. Male suicide clusters had a higher proportion of Indigenous population and lower median socio-economic index for area (SEIFA) than the national average, but their shapes changed with selection of maximum cluster radii setting. CONCLUSION This study found high suicide risk clusters at the SLA level in Australia, which appeared to be associated with lower median socio-economic status and higher proportion of Indigenous population. Future suicide prevention programs should focus on these high risk areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qi
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Wenbiao Hu
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Andrew Page
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Shilu Tong
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Fountoulakis KN, Kasper S, Andreassen O, Blier P, Okasha A, Severus E, Versiani M, Tandon R, Möller HJ, Vieta E. Efficacy of pharmacotherapy in bipolar disorder: a report by the WPA section on pharmacopsychiatry. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2012; 262 Suppl 1:1-48. [PMID: 22622948 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-012-0323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The current statement is a systematic review of the available data concerning the efficacy of medication treatment of bipolar disorder (BP). A systematic MEDLINE search was made concerning the treatment of BP (RCTs) with the names of treatment options as keywords. The search was updated on 10 March 2012. The literature suggests that lithium, first and second generation antipsychotics and valproate and carbamazepine are efficacious in the treatment of acute mania. Quetiapine and the olanzapine-fluoxetine combination are also efficacious for treating bipolar depression. Antidepressants should only be used in combination with an antimanic agent, because they can induce switching to mania/hypomania/mixed states/rapid cycling when utilized as monotherapy. Lithium, olanzapine, quetiapine and aripiprazole are efficacious during the maintenance phase. Lamotrigine is efficacious in the prevention of depression, and it remains to be clarified whether it is also efficacious for mania. There is some evidence on the efficacy of psychosocial interventions as an adjunctive treatment to medication. Electroconvulsive therapy is an option for refractory patients. In acute manic patients who are partial responders to lithium/valproate/carbamazepine, adding an antipsychotic is a reasonable choice. The combination with best data in acute bipolar depression is lithium plus lamotrigine. Patients stabilized on combination treatment might do worse if shifted to monotherapy during maintenance, and patients could benefit with add-on treatment with olanzapine, valproate, an antidepressant, or lamotrigine, depending on the index acute phase. A variety of treatment options for BP are available today, but still unmet needs are huge. Combination therapy may improve the treatment outcome but it also carries more side-effect burden. Further research is necessary as well as the development of better guidelines and algorithms for the step-by-step rational treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos N Fountoulakis
- 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 6 Odysseos str./1st Parodos Ampelonon str., Pylaia, Thessaloniki, Greece.
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12
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McDowell AK, Lineberry TW, Bostwick JM. Practical suicide-risk management for the busy primary care physician. Mayo Clin Proc 2011; 86:792-800. [PMID: 21709131 PMCID: PMC3146379 DOI: 10.4065/mcp.2011.0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Suicide is a public health problem and a leading cause of death. The number of people thinking seriously about suicide, making plans, and attempting suicide is surprisingly high. In total, primary care clinicians write more prescriptions for antidepressants than mental health clinicians and see patients more often in the month before their death by suicide. Treatment of depression by primary care physicians is improving, but opportunities remain in addressing suicide-related treatment variables. Collaborative care models for treating depression have the potential both to improve depression outcomes and decrease suicide risk. Alcohol use disorders and anxiety symptoms are important comorbid conditions to identify and treat. Management of suicide risk includes understanding the difference between risk factors and warning signs, developing a suicide risk assessment, and practically managing suicidal crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K McDowell
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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13
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Crucial elements in suicide prevention strategies. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2011; 35:848-53. [PMID: 21130823 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2010] [Revised: 10/28/2010] [Accepted: 11/25/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Ways of conceptualizing suicide prevention are reviewed briefly, and the preventive model: Universal, Selected, and Indicated prevention (USI) is chosen as the structure for the literature review, and the discussion. Universal preventive interventions are directed toward entire population; selective interventions are directed toward individuals who are at greater risk for suicidal behaviour; and indicated preventions are targeted at individuals who have already begun self-destructive behaviour. On the universal prevention level, an overview of the literature is presented with focus on restrictions in firearms and carbon monoxide gas. At the selective prevention level, a review of risk of suicide in homelessness and schizophrenia and risk factors for suicide in schizophrenia is conducted and possible interventions are mentioned together with the evidence for their effect. Suicide rate and preventive measures in affective disorder are also touched upon. At the indicated prevention level, studies of fatal and non-fatal suicide acts after suicide attempt are mentioned. The evidence of preventive measures to reduce repetition rates is presented. Finally, the state of the art is discussed with regard to prevention at the universal, the selected and the indicated level and clinical and research implications are outlined.
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Prado Robles V, Ameneiro Romero L. Tentative suicide in a psychotic patient admitted to a general hospital: presentation of a case. REVISTA DE PSIQUIATRIA Y SALUD MENTAL 2011; 4:109-110. [PMID: 23446147 DOI: 10.1016/j.rpsm.2011.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2010] [Revised: 01/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/20/2011] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
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Värnik A, Sisask M, Värnik P, Wu J, Kõlves K, Arensman E, Maxwell M, Reisch T, Gusmão R, van Audenhove C, Scheerder G, van der Feltz-Cornelis CM, Coffey C, Kopp M, Szekely A, Roskar S, Hegerl U. Drug suicide: a sex-equal cause of death in 16 European countries. BMC Public Health 2011; 11:61. [PMID: 21276260 PMCID: PMC3038157 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2010] [Accepted: 01/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a lack of international research on suicide by drug overdose as a preventable suicide method. Sex- and age-specific rates of suicide by drug self-poisoning (ICD-10, X60-64) and the distribution of drug types used in 16 European countries were studied, and compared with other self-poisoning methods (X65-69) and intentional self-injury (X70-84). Methods Data for 2000-04/05 were collected from national statistical offices. Age-adjusted suicide rates, and age and sex distributions, were calculated. Results No pronounced sex differences in drug self-poisoning rates were found, either in the aggregate data (males 1.6 and females 1.5 per 100,000) or within individual countries. Among the 16 countries, the range (from some 0.3 in Portugal to 5.0 in Finland) was wide. 'Other and unspecified drugs' (X64) were recorded most frequently, with a range of 0.2-1.9, and accounted for more than 70% of deaths by drug overdose in France, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. Psychotropic drugs (X61) ranked second. The X63 category ('other drugs acting on the autonomic nervous system') was least frequently used. Finland showed low X64 and high X61 figures, Scotland had high levels of X62 ('narcotics and hallucinogens, not elsewhere classified') for both sexes, while England exceeded other countries in category X60. Risk was highest among the middle-aged everywhere except in Switzerland, where the elderly were most at risk. Conclusions Suicide by drug overdose is preventable. Intentional self-poisoning with drugs kills as many males as females. The considerable differences in patterns of self-poisoning found in the various European countries are relevant to national efforts to improve diagnostics of suicide and appropriate specific prevention. The fact that vast majority of drug-overdose suicides came under the category X64 refers to the need of more detailed ICD coding system for overdose suicides is needed to permit better design of suicide-prevention strategies at national level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Airi Värnik
- Estonian-Swedish Mental Health and Suicidology Institute; Estonian Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Õie 39, Tallinn 11615, Estonia.
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Roskar S, Podlesek A, Zorko M, Tavcar R, Dernovsek MZ, Groleger U, Mirjanic M, Konec N, Janet E, Marusic A. Effects of training program on recognition and management of depression and suicide risk evaluation for Slovenian primary-care physicians: follow-up study. Croat Med J 2010; 51:237-42. [PMID: 20564767 DOI: 10.3325/cmj.2010.51.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To implement and evaluate an educational program for primary care physicians on recognition and treatment of depression and suicide prevention. METHOD The study was conducted in 3 Slovenian neighboring regions (Celje, Ravne na Koroskem, and Podravska) with similar suicide rates and other health indicators. All primary care physicians from Celje (N=155) and Ravne na Koroskem (N=35) were invited to participate in the educational program on depression treatment and suicide risk recognition. From January to March 2003, approximately half of them (82 out of 190; educational group) attended the program, whereas the other half (108 out of 190; control group 1) and physicians from the Podravska region (N=164; control group 2) did not attend the program. The prescription rates of antidepressants and anxiolytics before and after the intervention were compared between the studied regions. Also, suicide rates three-years before and after the intervention were compared. RESULTS From 2002 to 2003, there was a 2.33-fold increase in the rate of antidepressant prescriptions in the educational group (P<0.05) and only 1.28-fold (P<0.05) and 1.34-fold (P<0.05) increase in control groups 1 and 2, respectively. However, the 12% decrease in suicide rate in the intervention regions was not significantly greater than the 4% decrease in the non-intervention region (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Our training program was beneficial for primary care physicians' ability to recognize and manage depression. However, there was no significant decrease in local suicide rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saska Roskar
- Institute of Public Health of theRepublic of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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17
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Zahl PH, De Leo D, Ekeberg Ø, Hjelmeland H, Dieserud G. The relationship between sales of SSRI, TCA and suicide rates in the Nordic countries. BMC Psychiatry 2010; 10:62. [PMID: 20691035 PMCID: PMC2927503 DOI: 10.1186/1471-244x-10-62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2009] [Accepted: 08/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the period 1990-2006, strong and almost equivalent increases in sales figures of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were observed in all Nordic countries. The sales figures of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) dropped in Norway and Sweden in the nineties. After 2000, sales figures of TCAs have been almost constant in all Nordic countries. The potentially toxic effect of TCAs in overdose was an important reason for replacing TCAs with SSRIs when treating depression. We studied whether the rapid increase in sales of SSRIs and the corresponding decline in TCAs in the period 1990-98 were associated with a decline in suicide rates. METHODS Aggregated suicide rates for the period 1975-2006 in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) were obtained from the national causes-of-death registries. The sales figures of antidepressants were provided from the wholesale registers in each of the Nordic countries. Data were analysed using Fisher's exact test and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS There was no statistical association (P = 1.0) between the increase of sales figures of SSRIs and the decline in suicide rates. There was no statistical association (P = 1.0) between the decrease in the sale figures of TCAs and change in suicide rates either. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence for the rapid increase in use of SSRIs and the corresponding decline in sales of TCAs being associated with a decline in the suicide rates in the Nordic countries in the period 1990-98. We did not find any inverse relationship between the increase in sales of SSRIs and declining suicide rates in four Nordic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per-Henrik Zahl
- Department of Suicide Research and Prevention, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Diego De Leo
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Øivind Ekeberg
- Department of Acute Medicine, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, and Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences. Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Heidi Hjelmeland
- Department of Suicide Research and Prevention, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway,Department of Social Work and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Gudrun Dieserud
- Department of Suicide Research and Prevention, Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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18
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE In 2004, after an 18-month investigation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed pharmaceutical manufacturers to add a black box warning to antidepressants regarding increased risk of suicidality in children. Our objective was to evaluate the quality and content of and overall impression conveyed in news coverage of this issue. METHODS We collected all news stories on pediatric antidepressant use and suicidality published in a convenience sample of 10 of the highest-circulation print newspapers in the United States, the 3 major television networks, and a major cable news network in 2003 and 2004 (N = 167). Two researchers coded news articles by using a 9-item instrument. RESULTS The quality of news reporting on key health messages included in FDA warnings was mixed. The overwhelming majority of news stories correctly described a risk of suicidality associated with pediatric antidepressant use, as opposed to suicide itself. However, other key health messages highlighted in FDA warnings often were absent from news coverage. News stories were more likely to include anecdotes of children harmed versus children helped by antidepressants, whereas expert sources quoted were more likely to emphasize the benefits of antidepressants over their risks. However, the majority of news stories conveyed neither the overall impression that the risks of pediatric antidepressant use outweighed the benefits nor the impression that the benefits outweighed the risks, and coverage became increasingly neutral over time. CONCLUSIONS Inclusion of key health messages in FDA safety warnings was not sufficient to ensure their communication to the public through the lay press.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colleen L. Barry
- Associate Professor of Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven CT 06520, phone: (203) 785-4956, fax: (203) 785-6287
| | - Susan H. Busch
- Associate Professor of Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven CT 06520, phone: (203) 785-2927
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Chachamovich E, Stefanello S, Botega N, Turecki G. [Which are the recent clinical findings regarding the association between depression and suicide?]. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 2009; 31 Suppl 1:S18-25. [PMID: 19565147 DOI: 10.1590/s1516-44462009000500004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Suicide is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, especially among young subjects. Suicide is considered the outcome of a multidimensional and complex phenomenon, which is a result of the interaction between several factors. The association between psychopathology and suicide has been extensively investigated. Major depression plays an important role among the psychiatric diagnoses associated with suicide. This finding seems to be confirmed by different study designs, and in distinct populations. The present paper aims to briefly review the recent findings regarding the suicide-related clinical features of depression. Moreover, strategies for suicide prevention were also reviewed. REVIEW Recent references were identified and grouped in order to illustrate the main contributions about depression and suicide. Briefly, the literature review stresses the high prevalence of major depression among subjects presenting suicide behaviors. Psychopathological traits, such as aggression and impulsivity play a relevant role in triggering suicidal behaviors. Strategies for suicide prevention were also reviewed in Brazil and internationally. In general, detection and treatment are effective in reducing suicide rates. CONCLUSION Studies regarding suicide behaviors have had a pragmatic approach, and generated a large body of evidence about correlates of suicide. However, these studies have not been able to provide a consistent theoretical explanation for this phenomenon. The recent adoption of modern strategies represents a possibility of enhancing the research capability of such studies. In order to be clinically useful, findings should make it possible to deepen the understanding over the experience of a suicidal person, as well as to design specific strategies for prevention and treatment in population subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Chachamovich
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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20
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Nock MK, Hwang I, Sampson N, Kessler RC, Angermeyer M, Beautrais A, Borges G, Bromet E, Bruffaerts R, de Girolamo G, de Graaf R, Florescu S, Gureje O, Haro JM, Hu C, Huang Y, Karam EG, Kawakami N, Kovess V, Levinson D, Posada-Villa J, Sagar R, Tomov T, Viana MC, Williams DR. Cross-national analysis of the associations among mental disorders and suicidal behavior: findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. PLoS Med 2009; 6:e1000123. [PMID: 19668361 PMCID: PMC2717212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 503] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2009] [Accepted: 06/25/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Mental disorders are among the strongest predictors of suicide; however, little is known about which disorders are uniquely predictive of suicidal behavior, the extent to which disorders predict suicide attempts beyond their association with suicidal thoughts, and whether these associations are similar across developed and developing countries. This study was designed to test each of these questions with a focus on nonfatal suicide attempts. METHODS AND FINDINGS Data on the lifetime presence and age-of-onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) mental disorders and nonfatal suicidal behaviors were collected via structured face-to-face interviews with 108,664 respondents from 21 countries participating in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. The results show that each lifetime disorder examined significantly predicts the subsequent first onset of suicide attempt (odds ratios [ORs] = 2.9-8.9). After controlling for comorbidity, these associations decreased substantially (ORs = 1.5-5.6) but remained significant in most cases. Overall, mental disorders were equally predictive in developed and developing countries, with a key difference being that the strongest predictors of suicide attempts in developed countries were mood disorders, whereas in developing countries impulse-control, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorders were most predictive. Disaggregation of the associations between mental disorders and nonfatal suicide attempts showed that these associations are largely due to disorders predicting the onset of suicidal thoughts rather than predicting progression from thoughts to attempts. In the few instances where mental disorders predicted the transition from suicidal thoughts to attempts, the significant disorders are characterized by anxiety and poor impulse-control. The limitations of this study include the use of retrospective self-reports of lifetime occurrence and age-of-onset of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors, as well as the narrow focus on mental disorders as predictors of nonfatal suicidal behaviors, each of which must be addressed in future studies. CONCLUSIONS This study found that a wide range of mental disorders increased the odds of experiencing suicide ideation. However, after controlling for psychiatric comorbidity, only disorders characterized by anxiety and poor impulse-control predict which people with suicide ideation act on such thoughts. These findings provide a more fine-grained understanding of the associations between mental disorders and subsequent suicidal behavior than previously available and indicate that mental disorders predict suicidal behaviors similarly in both developed and developing countries. Future research is needed to delineate the mechanisms through which people come to think about suicide and subsequently progress from ideation to attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K Nock
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
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21
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Hungary previously had one of the highest suicide rates in the world, but experienced major social and economic changes from 1990 onwards. We aimed to investigate the antecedents of suicide in Hungary. We hypothesised that suicide in Hungary would be associated with both risk factors for suicide as identified in Western studies, and experiences related to social and economic restructuring. METHODS We carried out a controlled psychological autopsy study. Informants for 194 cases (suicide deaths in Budapest and Pest County 2002-2004) and 194 controls were interviewed by clinicians using a detailed schedule. RESULTS Many of the demographic and clinical risk factors associated with suicide in other settings were also associated with suicide in Hungary; for example, being unmarried or having no current relationship, lack of other social contacts, low educational attainment, history of self-harm, current diagnosis of affective disorder (including bipolar disorder) or personality disorder, and experiencing a recent major adverse life event. A number of variables reflecting experiences since economic restructuring were also associated with suicide; for example, unemployment, concern over work prospects, changes in living standards, practising religion. Just 20% of cases with evidence of depression at the time of death had received antidepressants. CONCLUSION Suicide rates in Hungary are falling. Our study identified a number of risk factors related to individual-level demographic and clinical characteristics, and possibly recent societal change. Improved management of psychiatric disorder and self-harm may result in further reductions in suicide rates.
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22
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Isacsson G, Holmgren A, Osby U, Ahlner J. Decrease in suicide among the individuals treated with antidepressants: a controlled study of antidepressants in suicide, Sweden 1995-2005. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2009; 120:37-44. [PMID: 19222406 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01344.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Ecological studies have demonstrated a substantial decrease in suicide in parallel with an increase in the use of antidepressants. Causality cannot, however, be inferred from such studies. The aim of this study was to test on the individual level the hypothesis that treatment with antidepressant medication has been a substantially contributing cause of the decrease in suicide. METHOD Time trends in the detection of antidepressants and five 'control medications' in the forensic toxicological screening of 16 937 suicides and 33 426 controls in Sweden 1995-2005. RESULTS The expected number of antidepressant-positive suicides in 2005 was 409 if the hypothesis was true and 603 if it was false. The observed number in 2005 was 420. The control medications were detected to the extent that was expected if not preventing suicide. CONCLUSION The observed trend in the number of suicides with antidepressants was well predicted by the hypothesis that the increased use of antidepressants has been a substantially contributing cause of the decrease in suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Isacsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.
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23
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Ludwig J, Marcotte DE, Norberg K. Anti-depressants and suicide. JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS 2009; 28:659-676. [PMID: 19324439 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2009.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2008] [Revised: 01/19/2009] [Accepted: 02/13/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Suicide takes the lives of around a million people each year, most of whom suffer from depression. In recent years there has been growing controversy about whether one of the best-selling anti-depressants - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - increases or decreases the risk of completed suicide. Randomized clinical trials are not informative in this application because of small samples and other problems. We present what we believe are the most scientifically credible estimates to date on how SSRI sales affect suicide mortality using data from 26 countries for up to 25 years. We exploit just the variation in SSRI sales that can be explained by institutional differences in how drugs are regulated, priced, and distributed, as reflected by the sales growth of new drugs more generally. We find an increase in SSRI sales of 1 pill per capita (12% of 2000 sales levels) reduces suicide by 5%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Ludwig
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States.
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24
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Kalmar S, Szanto K, Rihmer Z, Mazumdar S, Harrison K, Mann JJ. Antidepressant prescription and suicide rates: effect of age and gender. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2008; 38:363-74. [PMID: 18724785 PMCID: PMC3071298 DOI: 10.1521/suli.2008.38.4.363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
To determine whether the effect of antidepressant exposure on suicide rate is modified by age and gender in Hungary, annual antidepressant prescription rates and suicide rates of about 10 million inhabitants between 1999-2005 were analyzed by age and gender groups. The suicide rate was inversely related to the increased use of antidepressants in both genders. The strongest association was found in the oldest age groups, where the increase in antidepressant use was highest, while there was no association in the under 20 or 50-69 age groups in either gender. Antidepressant prescription rate was related to suicide rate after controlling for divorce rate or unemployment rate, but not after controlling for alcohol consumption rate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katalin Szanto
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
| | - Zoltan Rihmer
- National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Budapest
| | - Sati Mazumdar
- University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health School
| | - Katrin Harrison
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic
| | - J. John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute
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25
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Nock MK, Borges G, Bromet EJ, Cha CB, Kessler RC, Lee S. Suicide and suicidal behavior. Epidemiol Rev 2008; 30:133-54. [PMID: 18653727 DOI: 10.1093/epirev/mxn002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1462] [Impact Index Per Article: 91.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Suicidal behavior is a leading cause of injury and death worldwide. Information about the epidemiology of such behavior is important for policy-making and prevention. The authors reviewed government data on suicide and suicidal behavior and conducted a systematic review of studies on the epidemiology of suicide published from 1997 to 2007. The authors' aims were to examine the prevalence of, trends in, and risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior in the United States and cross-nationally. The data revealed significant cross-national variability in the prevalence of suicidal behavior but consistency in age of onset, transition probabilities, and key risk factors. Suicide is more prevalent among men, whereas nonfatal suicidal behaviors are more prevalent among women and persons who are young, are unmarried, or have a psychiatric disorder. Despite an increase in the treatment of suicidal persons over the past decade, incidence rates of suicidal behavior have remained largely unchanged. Most epidemiologic research on suicidal behavior has focused on patterns and correlates of prevalence. The next generation of studies must examine synergistic effects among modifiable risk and protective factors. New studies must incorporate recent advances in survey methods and clinical assessment. Results should be used in ongoing efforts to decrease the significant loss of life caused by suicidal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew K Nock
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Room 1280, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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26
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Bramness JG, Walby FA, Tverdal A. The sales of antidepressants and suicide rates in Norway and its counties 1980-2004. J Affect Disord 2007; 102:1-9. [PMID: 17223200 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2006.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2006] [Revised: 11/30/2006] [Accepted: 12/01/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicide is a major public health problem and depression is among the most important risk factors for suicide. Treatment of depression might prevent suicide. To study this hypothesis further we conducted an ecological study. METHODS An ecological study using sales data for antidepressants and numbers of suicides in Norway and Norwegian counties 1980-2004 was performed. Data on alcohol consumption and unemployment rates were registered and taken into account. Data were analyzed using Cochrane-Orcutt time series for the country as a whole. The county specific data were analyzed with a random coefficient model with county as subject and intercept and time (slope) as random variables using an unstructured covariance matrix. RESULTS Sales of non-tricyclic antidepressants (non-TCAs) and suicide were clearly negatively related, even when controlling for alcohol and unemployment (adjusted r(2): 0.57). There was an effect modification between time and level of sales of non-TCAs. Studying the relationship between the sales of non-TCAs and the suicide rate, we found that it was significant and stronger for the low sales figures, but non-existent for the high sales figures. LIMITATIONS Ecological studies cannot infer causality. CONCLUSIONS The fall in suicide rates in Norway and its counties was related to the increased sales of non-TCAs. The effect was mostly a result of a sales increase in the lower sales segment, indicating that a change from the more toxic TCAs, or heightened awareness of depression and its treatment, could explain the relationship found between sales of newer antidepressants and a decrease in suicide rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jørgen G Bramness
- Department of Pharmacoepidemiology, Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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27
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Safer DJ, Zito JM. Do antidepressants reduce suicide rates? Public Health 2007; 121:274-7. [PMID: 17316717 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2006.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2006] [Revised: 08/30/2006] [Accepted: 09/28/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Investigators from a number of countries have linked temporal declines in the rate of completed suicide in children and adults to the increasing utilization of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. They suggest that the relationship is causal. We undertook a thorough literature search of the rates of completed suicide using data from 1980 onwards, from the World Health Organization, the US National Center for Health Statistics, and related studies, in order to ascertain if a broad array of epidemiological evidence would or would not support a consistent association between suicide completion and SSRI utilization. The major findings were: (1) within and between countries, suicide rates vary prominently by age group; (2) national differences are marked with respect to a temporal association between rates of completed suicide and SSRI utilization; (3) in nearly half of the countries of the world, the decline in the suicide rate preceded the onset of the use of SSRIs; (4) suicide rates have fluctuated dramatically over the last century; and (5) the association between declining rates of completed suicides and increased SSRI use in the USA between 1990 and 1999 was no longer present between 2000 and 2004. We conclude that available ecological evidence does not support an inverse temporal relationship between rates of completed suicide and SSRI utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Safer
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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28
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Reseland S, Bray I, Gunnell D. Relationship between antidepressant sales and secular trends in suicide rates in the Nordic countries. Br J Psychiatry 2006; 188:354-8. [PMID: 16582062 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.188.4.354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of recent increases in antidepressant prescribing on population suicide rates is uncertain. AIMS To investigate the relationship between antidepressant sales and trends in suicide rates. METHOD Graphical and quantitative assessment of trends in suicide and antidepressant sales in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. RESULTS Suicide rates declined in all four countries during the 1990 s, whereas antidepressant sales increased by 3- to 4-fold. Decreasing suicide rates in Sweden and Denmark preceded the rise in antidepressant sales by over 10 years, although the reductions accelerated between 1988 and 1990. In Norway, a modest but short-lived decline in suicide rates began around the time of the increase in antidepressant sales. In Finland, decreases in male suicide rates and to a lesser extent in female suicide rates began around the time of increased antidepressant sales. In all four countries decreases in suicide rates appeared to precede the widespread use of SSRIs. CONCLUSIONS We found mixed evidence that increases in antidepressant sales have coincided with a reduction in the number of suicides in Nordic countries.
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Gaszner P, Miklya I. Major depression and the synthetic enhancer substances, (-)-deprenyl and R-(-)-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2006; 30:5-14. [PMID: 16023777 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2005.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Because of the high number of therapy-resistant depressions and the growing number of suicides, there is still a great need for the development of antidepressants with a new pharmacological spectrum. The finding that phenylethylamine and tryptamine are endogenous enhancers of the impulse propagation mediated release of catecholamines and serotonin in the brain, and the development of synthetic enhancer substances opened the possibility to stimulate catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons in the brain stem via a previously unknown mechanism. (-)-Deprenyl, a prototype of the phenylethylamine-derived synthetic enhancer substances, stimulates the catecholaminergic neurons in the brain but is almost ineffective on the serotonergic neurons. R-(-)-1-(benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane, (-)-BPAP, the recently developed tryptamine-derived selective synthetic enhancer substance, is a hundred times more potent enhancer of the catecholaminergic neuronal activity than (-)-deprenyl, and is also a highly potent stimulant of the serotonergic neurons. Evaluation of the peculiar pharmacological profile, the high potency and unusual safeness and tolerability of (-)-BPAP cherish the hope that this compound by itself and in combination with uptake inhibitors may improve the effectiveness of drug therapy in major depression and diminish the number of therapy resistant cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Gaszner
- National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, H-1021 Huvösvölgyi út 116, Budapest, Hungary.
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30
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Yerevanian BI, Koek RJ, Feusner JD, Hwang S, Mintz J. Antidepressants and suicidal behaviour in unipolar depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2004; 110:452-8. [PMID: 15521830 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00437.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the rates of suicidal behaviour during vs. after discontinuation of treatment with antidepressants, and to determine the comparative rates of suicidal behaviour for patients maintained on tricyclic (TCA) vs. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. METHOD Charts were reviewed for 521 patients with major depressive disorder and/or dysthymic disorder. Periods of active treatment or discontinuation with SSRIs or TCAs were determined. Rates of completed suicide, suicide attempts, and hospitalization for suicidality were analyzed. RESULTS There was greater than a five-fold increase in risk for suicidal behaviour after discontinuation of antidepressant treatment (P < 0.0001). The rates of suicidal behavior during treatment with SSRIs or TCAs were similar. CONCLUSION Suicidal behaviour in unipolar depressed patients treated with antidepressants increases substantially after medication discontinuation. This effect occurred in both patients who were maintained on SSRIs and TCAs. The findings support a possible protective effect on suicidal behaviour for both SSRIs and TCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- B I Yerevanian
- Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gunnell
- Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR.
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Henriksson S, Boëthius G, Håkansson J, Isacsson G. Indications for and outcome of antidepressant medication in a general population: a prescription database and medical record study, in Jämtland county, Sweden, 1995. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2003; 108:427-31. [PMID: 14616223 DOI: 10.1046/j.0001-690x.2003.00166.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the indications for prescribing antidepressants and the clinical outcome when they are prescribed for the treatment of depression, and compare tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in these respects. METHOD A naturalistic study of a prospective prescription monitoring database and medical records. RESULTS Depression was the indication for 23% of the tricyclic treatments and for 82% of the SSRI treatments. A successful treatment of the depression was found in 20% of the TCA cases and 41% of the SSRI cases (NS). CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that the main use of SSRIs in 1995 is the treatment of depression. The study implies that SSRIs have a more favourable outcome in "real life" than TCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Henriksson
- NEUROTEC, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Gunnell D, Middleton N, Whitley E, Dorling D, Frankel S. Why are suicide rates rising in young men but falling in the elderly?-- a time-series analysis of trends in England and Wales 1950-1998. Soc Sci Med 2003; 57:595-611. [PMID: 12821009 DOI: 10.1016/s0277-9536(02)00408-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 187] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Suicide rates doubled in males aged <45 in England and Wales between 1950 and 1998, in contrast rates declined in older males and females of all ages. Explanations for these divergent trends are largely speculative, but social changes are likely to have played an important role. We undertook a time-series analysis using routinely available age- and sex-specific suicide, social, economic and health data, focussing on the two age groups in which trends have diverged most-25-34 and 60+ year olds. Between 1950 and 1998 there were unfavourable trends in many of the risk factors for suicide: rises in divorce, unemployment and substance misuse and declines in births and marriage. Whilst economic prosperity has increased, so too has income inequality. Trends in suicide risk factors were generally similar in both age-sex groups, although the rises in divorce and markers of substance misuse were most marked in 25-34 year olds and young males experienced the lowest rise in antidepressant prescribing. Statistical modelling indicates that no single factor can be identified as underlying recent trends. The factors most consistently associated with the rises in young male suicide are increases in divorce, declines in marriage and increases in income inequality. These changes have had little effect on suicide in young females. This may be because the drugs commonly used in overdose-their favoured method of suicide-have become less toxic or because they are less affected by the factors underlying the rise in male suicide. In older people declines in suicide were associated with increases in gross domestic product, the size of the female workforce, marriage and the prescribing of antidepressants. Recent population trends in suicide appear to be associated with by a range of social and health related factors. It is possible that some of the patterns observed are due to declining levels of social integration, but such effects do not appear to have adversely influenced patterns in older generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gunnell
- Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PR, UK.
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