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Association of suicidal ideation and depression with the use of proton pump inhibitors in adults: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19539. [PMID: 36376493 PMCID: PMC9663563 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24244-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were found to be associated with depression. This study aimed to find the cross-sectional association between recent PPI use and suicidal ideation. Item 9 of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2018 was used to categorize whether or not the participants had suicidal ideation. The secondary outcome of this study was depression and the scores of the PHQ-9 were used as the depression diagnostic instrument. The study population included 16,881 participants who were over 20 years old. The bivariate Rao-Scott χ2 test showed a significant association between PPI use and suicidal ideation (P < 0.001) and a stronger association was observed between PPIs and depression (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis of the education, gender, race and age-adjusted model revealed that the PPI users had a 2.34 (95% CI 1.66-3.31) greater risk of having suicidal ideation than the non-PPI users. Middle-aged participants (40-49 years) showed the greatest number of differences in suicidal ideation between PPI and non-PPI users (P < 0.001). Future research should continue to consider the psychiatric effects of taking PPIs.
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Hengartner MP, Amendola S, Kaminski JA, Kindler S, Bschor T, Plöderl M. Suicide risk with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other new-generation antidepressants in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. J Epidemiol Community Health 2021; 75:jech-2020-214611. [PMID: 33685964 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2020-214611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is ongoing controversy whether antidepressant use alters suicide risk in adults with depression and other treatment indications. METHODS Systematic review of observational studies, searching MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, PsycARTICLES and SCOPUS for case-control and cohort studies. We included studies on depression and various indications unspecified (including off-label use) reporting risk of suicide and/or suicide attempt for adult patients using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and other new-generation antidepressants relative to non-users. Effects were meta-analytically aggregated with random-effects models, reporting relative risk (RR) estimates with 95% CIs. Publication bias was assessed via funnel-plot asymmetry and trim-and-fill method. Financial conflict of interest (fCOI) was defined present when lead authors' professorship was industry-sponsored, they received industry-payments, or when the study was industry-sponsored. RESULTS We included 27 studies, 19 on depression and 8 on various indications unspecified (n=1.45 million subjects). SSRI were not definitely related to suicide risk (suicide and suicide attempt combined) in depression (RR=1.03, 0.70-1.51) and all indications (RR=1.19, 0.88-1.60). Any new-generation antidepressant was associated with higher suicide risk in depression (RR=1.29, 1.06-1.57) and all indications (RR=1.45, 1.23-1.70). Studies with fCOI reported significantly lower risk estimates than studies without fCOI. Funnel-plots were asymmetrical and imputation of missing studies with trim-and-fill method produced considerably higher risk estimates. CONCLUSIONS Exposure to new-generation antidepressants is associated with higher suicide risk in adult routine-care patients with depression and other treatment indications. Publication bias and fCOI likely contribute to systematic underestimation of risk in the published literature. REGISTRATION Open Science Framework, https://osf.io/eaqwn/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Hengartner
- Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Amendola
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Jakob A Kaminski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Kindler
- Psychotherapist in Private Practice, Winterthur, Switzerland
| | - Tom Bschor
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Plöderl
- Department of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, Christian Doppler Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Grundsøe TL, Pedersen ML. Risk factors observed in health care system 6 months prior completed suicide. Int J Circumpolar Health 2020; 78:1617019. [PMID: 31084408 PMCID: PMC6522904 DOI: 10.1080/22423982.2019.1617019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ten percent of all deaths in Greenland are caused by suicide. The aim of this study was to explore if applicable risk factors could be identified among the suicide victims within the health care system up to 6 months prior to the suicide. The study was performed as an age- and gender-matched case control study including all suicides in Greenland from 2012 to 2015, based on review of medical records for risk factors including suicide ideation, suicide attempts, incidence of alcohol intoxication, incidence of violence and treatment for psychiatric illness within the 6 month period leading up to the suicide. In total, 160 cases and 160 controls were included. Presence of any risk factors were observed in around a third of all suicide cases compared a tenth among the controls. The highest odds ratios for suicide were observed for suicide ideation and suicide attempts. However, no contact with the health care system was observed for two thirds of the suicides victims. Thus, focus on suicide ideation and suicide attempts among patients could help health care professionals to assess suicide risk and initiate prevention. Additional preventive strategies targeting the majority without contact to the health care system need to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Lynge Pedersen
- a Queen Ingrid Health Care Center , Nuuk , Greenland.,b Greenland Center of Health Research, Institute of Nursing and Health Science , University of Greenland , Nuuk , Greenland
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Forsman J, Taipale H, Masterman T, Tiihonen J, Tanskanen A. Adherence to psychotropic medication in completed suicide in Sweden 2006-2013: a forensic-toxicological matched case-control study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2019; 75:1421-1430. [PMID: 31218371 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-019-02707-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of adherence to psychotropic medications upon the risk of completed suicide by comparing person-level prescriptions and postmortem toxicological findings among complete-suicide cases and non-suicide controls in Sweden 2006-2013. METHODS Using national registries with full coverage on dispensed prescriptions, results of medico-legal autopsies, causes of death, and diagnoses from inpatient care, estimated continuous drug use for 30 commonly prescribed psychotropic medications was compared with forensic-toxicological findings. Subjects who had died by suicide (cases) were matched (1:2) with subjects who had died of other causes (controls) for age, sex, and year of death. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression to estimate the risk of completed suicide conferred by partial adherence and non-adherence to pharmacotherapy. Adjustments were made for previous inpatient care and the ratio of initiated and discontinued dispensed prescriptions, a measure of the continued need of treatment preceding death. RESULTS In 5294 suicide cases and 9879 non-suicide controls, after adjusting for the dispensation ratio and other covariates, partial adherence and non-adherence to antipsychotics were associated with 6.7-fold and 12.4-fold risks of completed suicide, respectively, whereas corresponding risk estimates for antidepressant treatment were not statistically significant and corresponding risk increases for incomplete adherence to antidepressant treatment were lower (1.6-fold and 1.5-fold, respectively) and lacked statistical significance. CONCLUSION After adjustment for the need of treatment, biochemically verified incomplete adherence to antipsychotic pharmacotherapy was associated with markedly increased risks of completed suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Forsman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
- National Board of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 4044, SE-141 04, Huddinge, Sweden.
| | - Heidi Taipale
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Thomas Masterman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- National Board of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 4044, SE-141 04, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Antti Tanskanen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
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Stene-Larsen K, Hauge LJ, Øien-Ødegaard C, Reneflot A. A Registry Based Approach to Suicide Research: Opportunities and Limitations in the Norwegian Population Representative Registries. SANTE MENTALE AU QUEBEC 2019. [DOI: 10.7202/1058615ar] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Together with the other Nordic countries, Norway stands in a unique position internationally with its large population representative registries. By means of unique personal identification numbers assigned to all Norwegian citizens, as well as to immigrants who stay for more than 6 months, it is possible to construct individual record linkages covering an increasing number of years across different national registries. The Norwegian registries include, among others, information from the primary and specialist health care services, the prescription of drugs, and causes of death. In addition, they include sociodemographic information like year of birth, gender, immigration status, educational attainment, marital status, and the use of various social benefits. Norway is one of very few countries that have a nationwide registry on primary health care use. This registry gives the opportunity to explore the role of the primary health care services prior to suicide and in the follow-up of the suicide bereaved, which has been pointed out as one of the most promising areas for future suicide prevention. Linkages of Norwegian registries opens up new approaches in analyses and the possibility to explore a range of novel research themes, such as treatment trajectories and patterns of health care use prior to suicide and among the suicide bereaved.
In this paper, we give a description of the Norwegian population representative registries applicable for suicide research. We discuss the analytic opportunities as well as the challenges and obstacles of a registry based research approach to suicide.
The main strength of registry-based research on suicide is the ability to maintain data on the total population, the possibility to study small sub-populations or low-prevalent events, virtually continuous timelines in longitudinal data, few or no non-response or other missing data, no sample attrition, and the possibility of gaining access to large amounts of various health and sociodemographic information. In addition registry-based research allows investigation of hard-to-reach populations, such as groups of individuals with severe mental disorders or immigrants that traditionally have been difficult to recruit for participation in research projects.
The opportunities presented in the article could motivate to do similar research in Canada and even inspire for cooperation between Norwegian and Canadian researchers on registry based research on suicide. In our opinion, registry-based research on suicide will play an increasingly important role in suicide research in the years to come.
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Castelpietra G, Bortolussi L, Gobbato M, Arnoldo L, Balestrieri M, Wettermark B. Discontinuation of antidepressants in suicides findings from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy, 2005‐2014. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2018; 124:312-320. [DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.13140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Castelpietra
- Primary Care Services Area Central Health Directorate, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region Trieste Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Luca Bortolussi
- Department of Mathematics and Geosciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
| | - Michele Gobbato
- Epidemiological Service Trust for the Centralised Management of Shared Services (EGAS) Udine Italy
| | - Luca Arnoldo
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - Matteo Balestrieri
- Department of Medical and Biological Sciences University of Udine Udine Italy
| | - Bjorn Wettermark
- Department of Medicine Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology Karolinska Institutet Stockholm Sweden
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Antidepressant use in suicides: a case-control study from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy, 2005-2014. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2017; 73:883-890. [PMID: 28342066 PMCID: PMC5486927 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-017-2236-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the use of antidepressant (AD) classes and compounds in individuals who committed suicide and in controls from the general population and to assess to what extent adherence and current use of different AD classes can affect the risk of committing suicide. METHODS Individual data on suicide, diagnoses and AD use in Friuli Venezia Giulia from 2005 to 2014 were obtained from the Regional Social and Health Information System. All suicides that had at least one prescription of AD in the 730 days before death (N = 876) were included as cases. Each case was matched with regard to age and sex with five controls from the general population. The association between suicide and AD use was assessed using conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Almost 70% of all suicides occurring in the10-year period had been prescribed AD. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) accounted for more than the 90% of the prescriptions, with paroxetine the most prescribed AD. All AD compounds and classes were not associated with a higher suicide risk, with the exception of SSRI (OR = 1.6). A decreasing trend in suicide risk was observed when adherent subjects or current AD users were compared to the others. CONCLUSIONS AD treatment is an important factor for preventing suicide, since the use of AD at adequate dosage and for a proper duration was associated with a lower suicide risk. The proper use of AD should be ascertained by physicians, particularly in a primary care context.
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Zalsman G, Hawton K, Wasserman D, van Heeringen K, Arensman E, Sarchiapone M, Carli V, Höschl C, Barzilay R, Balazs J, Purebl G, Kahn JP, Sáiz PA, Lipsicas CB, Bobes J, Cozman D, Hegerl U, Zohar J. Suicide prevention strategies revisited: 10-year systematic review. Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3:646-59. [PMID: 27289303 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(16)30030-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 951] [Impact Index Per Article: 118.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many countries are developing suicide prevention strategies for which up-to-date, high-quality evidence is required. We present updated evidence for the effectiveness of suicide prevention interventions since 2005. METHODS We searched PubMed and the Cochrane Library using multiple terms related to suicide prevention for studies published between Jan 1, 2005, and Dec 31, 2014. We assessed seven interventions: public and physician education, media strategies, screening, restricting access to suicide means, treatments, and internet or hotline support. Data were extracted on primary outcomes of interest, namely suicidal behaviour (suicide, attempt, or ideation), and intermediate or secondary outcomes (treatment-seeking, identification of at-risk individuals, antidepressant prescription or use rates, or referrals). 18 suicide prevention experts from 13 European countries reviewed all articles and rated the strength of evidence using the Oxford criteria. Because the heterogeneity of populations and methodology did not permit formal meta-analysis, we present a narrative analysis. FINDINGS We identified 1797 studies, including 23 systematic reviews, 12 meta-analyses, 40 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 67 cohort trials, and 22 ecological or population-based investigations. Evidence for restricting access to lethal means in prevention of suicide has strengthened since 2005, especially with regard to control of analgesics (overall decrease of 43% since 2005) and hot-spots for suicide by jumping (reduction of 86% since 2005, 79% to 91%). School-based awareness programmes have been shown to reduce suicide attempts (odds ratio [OR] 0·45, 95% CI 0·24-0·85; p=0·014) and suicidal ideation (0·5, 0·27-0·92; p=0·025). The anti-suicidal effects of clozapine and lithium have been substantiated, but might be less specific than previously thought. Effective pharmacological and psychological treatments of depression are important in prevention. Insufficient evidence exists to assess the possible benefits for suicide prevention of screening in primary care, in general public education and media guidelines. Other approaches that need further investigation include gatekeeper training, education of physicians, and internet and helpline support. The paucity of RCTs is a major limitation in the evaluation of preventive interventions. INTERPRETATION In the quest for effective suicide prevention initiatives, no single strategy clearly stands above the others. Combinations of evidence-based strategies at the individual level and the population level should be assessed with robust research designs. FUNDING The Expert Platform on Mental Health, Focus on Depression, and the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil Zalsman
- Geha Mental Health Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Keith Hawton
- Centre for Suicide Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Danuta Wasserman
- National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental Ill-Health (NASP), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Ella Arensman
- National Suicide Research Foundation, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Marco Sarchiapone
- Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, Via De Santis Campobasso and National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty, Roma, Italy
| | - Vladimir Carli
- National Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention of Mental Ill-Health (NASP), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Cyril Höschl
- National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Ran Barzilay
- Geha Mental Health Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Judit Balazs
- Department of Developmental and Clinical Child Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György Purebl
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Semmelweis University Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jean Pierre Kahn
- Université de Lorraine, Pôle de Psychiatrie et Psychologie Clinique, Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy-Laxou, Nancy-Laxou, France
| | - Pilar Alejandra Sáiz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Oviedo, Spain
| | - Cendrine Bursztein Lipsicas
- Department of Community Mental Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Julio Bobes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM Oviedo, Spain
| | - Doina Cozman
- Department of Clinical Psychology, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ulrich Hegerl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joseph Zohar
- Psychiatry Department, Sheba Health Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Avis, Israel
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Sundell KA, Gissler M, Petzold M, Waern M. Antidepressant utilization patterns and mortality in Swedish men and women aged 20-34 years. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2010; 67:169-78. [PMID: 21063694 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-010-0933-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2010] [Accepted: 10/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare antidepressant utilization patterns and mortality in relation to antidepressant use in men and women aged 20-34 years. METHODS We used data from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register to identify adults aged 20-34 years who purchased at least one antidepressant in 2006. Information on death and migration was obtained from the Total Population Register by record linkage. One-year prevalence and proportion of new users, amount of purchased antidepressants, concurrent use of other antidepressants, mood stabilizers and antipsychotics and mortality were assessed. RESULTS The one-year prevalence of antidepressant use was 5.6% among all Swedes aged 20-34 years (n = 94,239) and was higher among women than men (7.2 vs. 4.0%, p < 0.001). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were the most dominant class of antidepressants at baseline and were more common among women than men (78.7 vs. 71.7%, p < 0.001). Of the new users, 22.3% filled only one prescription during the study period, men more often than women (24.1 vs. 21.4%, p < 0.001). The mortality rate was higher in men than in women (24 vs. 14 per 10,000, p = 0.009). Concurrent use of mood stabilizers (48 vs. 16 per 10,000, p < 0.001) and antipsychotics (50 vs. 14 per 10,000, p < 0.001) was associated with increased mortality in men and women. CONCLUSIONS Almost twice as many Swedish women than men aged 20-34 years purchased antidepressants in 2006. Differences in utilization patterns between sexes were rather small. Discontinuation rates were high, indicating that health care providers need to acquire an increased awareness on attitudes to treatment. In both sexes, mortality rates were elevated among those concurrently using mood stabilizers and antipsychotics, which needs further investigation.
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Pompili M, Serafini G, Innamorati M, Ambrosi E, Giordano G, Girardi P, Tatarelli R, Lester D. Antidepressants and Suicide Risk: A Comprehensive Overview. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2010; 3:2861-2883. [PMID: 27713380 PMCID: PMC4034101 DOI: 10.3390/ph3092861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Revised: 08/20/2010] [Accepted: 08/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The annual worldwide suicide rate currently averages approximately 13 per 100,000 individuals per year (0.013% per year), with higher average rates for men than for women in all but a few countries, very low rates in children, and relatively high rates in elderly men. Suicide rates vary markedly between countries, reflecting in part differences in case-identification and reporting procedures. Rates of attempted suicide in the general population average 20-30 times higher than rates of completed suicide, but are probably under-reported. Research on the relationship between pharmacotherapy and suicidal behavior was rare until a decade ago. Most ecological studies and large clinical studies have found that a general reduction in suicide rates is significantly correlated with higher rates of prescribing modern antidepressants. However, ecological, cohort and case-control studies and data from brief, randomized, controlled trials in patients with acute affective disorders have found increases, particularly in young patients and particularly for the risk of suicide attempts, as well as increases in suicidal ideation in young patients. whether antidepressants are associated with specific aspects of suicidality (e.g., higher rates of completed suicide, attempted suicide and suicidal ideation) in younger patients with major affective disorders remains a highly controversial question. In light of this gap this paper analyzes research on the relationship between suicidality and antidepressant treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
- McLean Hospital - Harvard Medical School, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Marco Innamorati
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Elisa Ambrosi
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gloria Giordano
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Paolo Girardi
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Roberto Tatarelli
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Grottarossa 1037, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - David Lester
- The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, P.O. Box 195 Pomona, NJ 08240, USA.
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Cardiovascular Diseases among Suiciders: A Population-Based Study in Northern Finland Population. Cardiovasc Psychiatry Neurol 2010; 2010. [PMID: 20706533 PMCID: PMC2913514 DOI: 10.1155/2010/302102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2010] [Revised: 05/23/2010] [Accepted: 06/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective. Depression has been found to be an independent risk factor with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and also associated with increased mortality among these patients. Method. We used a comprehensive database of all suicides (n = 2, 283) committed in Northern Finland with information on all hospital-treated cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric disorders. Results. Coronary artery disease (CAD) had been present in 7.7% and other cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in 11.6% of the suiciders. The likelihood of suicide for patients with hospital-treated CAD was estimated to be two-fold compared to the general population while likelihood for suicide was not elevated among those with other CVDs. Males with CAD and females with CAD or any CVD had been hospitalized significantly more often with depression compared to reference group. Conclusions. Suicidality among patients with cardiovascular diseases has been suggested to associate with depression. Psychiatric consultation is highly recommended in clinical practice for cardiac patients with depression or alcohol-related disorders.
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Pompili M, Baldessarini RJ, Tondo L, Innamorati M, Tatarelli R, Girardi P, De Pisa E. Response to intravenous antidepressant treatment by suicidal vs. nonsuicidal depressed patients. J Affect Disord 2010; 122:154-8. [PMID: 19709752 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2009] [Revised: 07/23/2009] [Accepted: 07/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As effects of suicidal status on antidepressant responses remain uncertain, we compared responses to treatment in suicidal and nonsuicidal depressed patients. METHODS We evaluated treatment response and covariates in 82 depressed patients diagnosed with DSM-IV major depressive (n=50) or bipolar disorders (n=32) treated initially in a day-hospital for 2 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of outpatient treatment, using citalopram given intravenously and then orally, with or without a mood-stabilizer. Suicidal status was based on an intake score of > or = 3 on item-3 of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, verified by clinical assessment. Morbidity and clinical change were assessed with the remaining 16 items (HDRS(16)). RESULTS Suicidal (n=31) and nonsuicidal subjects (n=51) were similar in baseline ratings of depressive symptom-severity but were depressed longer and more likely to abuse substances. Suicidal ratings improved by 36% during 6 weeks of treatment among initially suicidal patients, but other depressive symptoms (HDRS(16)) improved half as much as in nonsuicidal subjects (13.4 vs. 25.1 points), independent of diagnosis, initial illness-severity, and treatment, and half as many patients improved by > or = 20%. In multivariate modeling, only being suicidal predicted poor response. CONCLUSIONS Being suicidal may limit response to treatment in depressed major affective disorder patients, independent of diagnosis or overall symptomatic severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Smith EG, Søndergård L, Lopez AG, Andersen PK, Kessing LV. Association between consistent purchase of anticonvulsants or lithium and suicide risk: a longitudinal cohort study from Denmark, 1995-2001. J Affect Disord 2009; 117:162-7. [PMID: 19243837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2008] [Revised: 01/10/2009] [Accepted: 01/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies suggest anticonvulsants purchasers may be at greater risk of suicide than lithium purchasers. METHODS Longitudinal, retrospective cohort study of all individuals in Denmark purchasing anticonvulsants (valproic acid, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine or lamotrigine) (n=9952) or lithium (n=6693) from 1995-2001 who also purchased antipsychotics at least once (to select out nonpsychiatric anticonvulsant use). Poisson regression of suicides by medication purchased (anticonvulsants or lithium) was conducted, controlling for age, sex, and calendar year. Confounding by indication was addressed by restricting the comparison to individuals prescribed the same medication: individuals with minimal medication exposure (e.g., who purchased only a single prescription of anticonvulsants) were compared to those individuals with more consistent medication exposure (i.e., purchasing > or = 6 prescriptions of anticonvulsants). RESULTS Demographics and frequency of anticonvulsant, lithium, or antipsychotic use were similar between lithium and anticonvulsant purchasers. Among patients who also purchased antipsychotic at least once during the study period, purchasing anticonvulsants more consistently (> or = 6 prescriptions) was associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of suicide (RR=0.22, 95% CI=0.11-0.42, p<0.0001), similar to patients consistently purchasing lithium (RR=0.27, 95% CI=0.12-0.62, p=0.006). Absolute suicide risks of consistent anticonvulsant and consistent lithium purchasers were similar. LIMITATIONS Lack of information about diagnoses and potential confounders, as well as other covariates that may differ between minimal and consistent medication purchasers, are limitations to this study. CONCLUSIONS In this longitudinal study of anticonvulsant purchasers likely to have psychiatric disorders, consistent anticonvulsant treatment was associated with decreased risk of completed suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric G Smith
- Center for Psychopharmacologic Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. 610041
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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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Association between antidepressant half-life and the risk of suicidal ideation or behavior among children and adolescents: confirmatory analysis and research implications. J Affect Disord 2009; 114:143-8. [PMID: 18692250 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2008.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2008] [Revised: 06/17/2008] [Accepted: 06/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study sought to determine from a recent meta-analysis of pediatric antidepressant trials if a general property of antidepressant medications--the multiple-dosing medication half-life--is associated with risks for suicidal ideation or behavior. METHODS Relative risks for suicidal behavior (ideation, attempt, or preparation) for seven antidepressants were obtained from both the FDA's initial and published versions of their pediatric antidepressant meta-analysis. The correlation between the relative risk for suicidal behavior and antidepressant half-life was examined using a nonparametric test, Spearman's rho. RESULTS A significant correlation (rho=0.929; p=0.003) was observed for the initial analysis, as previously reported by Weiss and Gorman. The correlation was robust to a change in the suicidality ranking for the longest half-life medication, fluoxetine, that occurred when results from the Treatment of Adolescent Depression Study (TADS) were included in the published meta-analysis (rho=0.786, p=0.036). LIMITATIONS In addition to limitations common to meta-analyses, our analysis has additional uncertainties including the fact that adult, rather than pediatric, antidepressant half-life data were used due to an unavailability of published information. In addition, risks for suicidal ideation/behavior may vary for reasons other than half-life (e.g. study eligibility criteria, illness severity or responsiveness to treatment, diagnoses, etc.). CONCLUSIONS The risk of suicidal ideation or behavior in short-term antidepressant trials involving children or adolescents, as defined in the recent FDA meta-analysis, appears to be potentially at least partly associated with antidepressant half-life. Although any relationship is tentative, approaches to investigating several potential candidate mechanisms for any association are discussed.
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Barbui C, Esposito E, Cipriani A. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of suicide: a systematic review of observational studies. CMAJ 2009; 180:291-7. [PMID: 19188627 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.081514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is unclear whether the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other antidepressant drugs reduce the risk of suicide in people with depression. We explored the association between exposure to SSRIs and risk of suicide completion or attempt. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of observational studies that reported completed or attempted suicide in depressed individuals who were exposed to SSRIs compared with those who were not exposed to antidepressants. We assessed the overall risk of completed or attempted suicide. RESULTS Eight studies involving more than 200 000 patients with moderate or severe depression were included in the meta-analysis. Although exposure to SSRIs increased the risk of completed or attempted suicide among adolescents (odds ratio [OR] 1.92, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-2.44), the risk was decreased among adults (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.47-0.70). Among people aged 65 or more years, exposure to SSRIs had a protective effect (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.27-0.79). Sensitivity analyses did not change these findings. In particular, for studies that used completed suicide as an outcome, exposure to SSRIs was associated with increased risk among adolescents (OR 5.81, 95% CI 1.57-21.51) and decreased risk among adults (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.52-0.83) and older people (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.26-1.06). INTERPRETATION Based on data from observational studies, use of SSRIs may be associated with a reduced risk of suicide in adults with depression. Among adolescents, use of SSRIs may increase suicidality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Barbui
- World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health, Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Brown CH, Wyman PA, Brinales JM, Gibbons RD. The role of randomized trials in testing interventions for the prevention of youth suicide. Int Rev Psychiatry 2007; 19:617-31. [PMID: 18092240 DOI: 10.1080/09540260701797779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological considerations point to a small handful of prevention strategies that have the potential for dramatically reducing suicide rates. Nearly all of those prevention approaches involve population-based strategies to either find an increased number of individuals at high risk for suicide or to reduce the prevalence of risk factors in members of a population that, as a whole, has a relatively low rate of suicide. Few of these approaches have been evaluated in rigorous trials. We argue that there are rigorous randomized trial designs that are both feasible and ethical and can be used to test both programmes and implementation strategies for population-based suicide prevention. We review existing suicide prevention trials and introduce two new randomized trial designs that are likely to achieve sufficient statistical power. The 'dynamic wait-listed design' randomizes across different time periods and is now being used to test a gatekeeper training programme in 32 schools. It could also be used to examine suicide prevention programmes in rural areas. The multi-trial follow-up study builds on the large number of successful population-based preventive interventions aimed at reducing known risk factors for suicide in youths to see whether these also cause a reduction in rates of completed suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Hendricks Brown
- Prevention Science and Methodology Group, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Florida, Tampa 33612, USA.
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Baldessarini RJ, Tondo L, Strombom IM, Dominguez S, Fawcett J, Licinio J, Oquendo MA, Tollefson GD, Valuck RJ, Tohen M. Ecological studies of antidepressant treatment and suicidal risks. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2007; 15:133-45. [PMID: 17687708 DOI: 10.1080/10673220701551102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ongoing discussion of potential benefits and risks of antidepressant treatment with respect to suicidal behaviors includes many ecological, or population-based, correlational studies of temporal or regional trends in suicide rates and rates of usage of modern antidepressants including serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). Since this body of research has not been compiled and evaluated, we used computerized literature searching to identify 19 relevant published studies. They yielded heterogeneous findings: only 8/19 found significant inverse correlations between rising sales of modern antidepressants in the 1990 s and falling suicide rates not anticipated in the 1980s. Average reductions in suicide rates in the 1990 s (10.7%) and 1980s (10.0%) differed little in 11 studies with data from both eras. Reduction of suicide rates in the 1990 s was unrelated to geographic region, population size, units of analysis, publication year, or growth in antidepressant usage, but was greater with higher initial suicide rates, in men, and in older persons. In the same decade, suicides rates decreased in only half of 79 large countries. Overall, these findings yield limited and inconsistent support for the hypothesis that increased use of modern antidepressants might limit suicide risk, and no evidence that the risk increased. Suicidal risk is determined by complex factors, including access to clinical services, in general, and more comprehensive treatment of depression, in particular. Overall, as with findings from randomized trials and cohort or case-control studies, evidence of specific antisuicidal effects of antidepressant treatment from ecological analyses remains elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross J Baldessarini
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Program, Harvard Medical School, and International Psychopharmacology Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
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