Study denies that stopping antidepressants increases suicide risk

Patients finishing a course of antidepressants are not at an increased risk of suicide, according to a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which examined concerns they can fall into dangerous pits of despair.

Patients, regardless of sex, were three to four times more likely to report suicidal thoughts or attempts in the first 10 days of treatment than after three months on the medication. The findings were similar for all examined medication, whether prescribed for adults or children.

The research, conducted at the Boston University School of Medicine, is the largest to compare suicide risks of newer antidepressant drugs Paxil and Prozac with that of older medications such as amitriptyline.

The findings confirmed the importance of closely monitoring patients beginning drug therapy but also underlined the safety and effectiveness of newer antidepressants.