Antidepressant treatment and the risk of fatal and non-fatal self harm in first episode depression: nested case-control study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To compare the risk of non-fatal self harm and suicide in patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with that of patients taking tricyclic antidepressants, as well as between different SSRIs and different tricyclic antidepressants.

Design

Nested case-control study.

Setting

Primary care in the United Kingdom.

Participants

146,095 individuals with a first prescription of an antidepressant for depression.

Main outcome measures

Suicide and non-fatal self harm.

Results

1968 cases of non-fatal self harm and 69 suicides occurred. The overall adjusted odds ratio of non-fatal self harm was 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.86 to 1.14) and that of suicide 0.57 (0.26 to 1.25) in people prescribed SSRIs compared with those prescr

SUBMITTER: Martinez C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC549107 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature