Abstract
Background Depression accounts for the majority of deaths by suicide. However, the effects of antidepressants are controversial; on the one hand they decrease the incidence of death by suicide, as reflected in epidemiological studies, and on the other hand, they increase the risk of impulsive acts, including suicide. In 1998, primary care physicians in Israel were not allowed to prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and in 1999 this prohibition was lifted. We therefore evaluated the association between patterns of antidepressant prescribing and the rate of death by suicide in Israel in 1998 compared with 2002.
Highlights
Depression accounts for the majority of deaths by suicide
The effects of antidepressants are controversial; on the one hand they decrease the incidence of death by suicide, as reflected in epidemiological studies, and on the other hand, they increase the risk of impulsive acts, including suicide
We evaluated the association between patterns of antidepressant prescribing and the rate of death by suicide in Israel in 1998 compared with 2002
Summary
Address: 1Abarbanel Mental Health Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel and 2Geha Mental Health center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Published: 28 February 2006 Annals of General Psychiatry 2006, 5(Suppl 1):S307 doi:10.1186/1744-859X-5-S1-S307. cecocIonnteternat/tfiolensa/lpdSof/c1i7e4ty4-o8n59BXra-5in-Sa1n-dfuBlle.phdafv">iohuerr:e2In.onn Brain and Behaviour Meeting abstracts – A single PDF containing all abstracts in this Supplement is available
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