Antidepressant Use and Risk for Suicide Attempts in Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

Article AbstractLetter to the EditorBecause this piece does not have an abstract, we have provided for your benefit the first 3 sentences of the full text.The use of antidepressants in bipolar disorder remains controversial with respect to whether, and when, they may destabilize mood and worsen clinical course. Despite previously identified links between suicide attempts and the proportion of time spent with depression in bipolar disorder, few longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between antidepressant use and suicidal behavior specifically in bipolar disorder. Retrospective studies have reported a greater risk for suicide attempts among bipolar patients taking antidepressants alone than among those taking concomitant mood stabilizers or mood stabilizers alone, while prospective studies have found either no link between suicidal acts and antidepressant use or fewer suicide attempts when antidepressants are combined with mood stabilizers than during mood stabilizer therapy alone.