Citation

Dubicka B, Hadley S, Roberts C. Br. J. Psychiatry 2006; 189(5): 393-398.

Affiliation

University Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Pendlebury, Manchester M27 4HA, UK. (Bernadka.Dubicka@manchester.ac.uk)

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.105.011833

PMID

17077427

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Concern exists that antidepressants can cause suicidality in youths with depression. AIMS: To determine the pooled risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour from randomised trials of newer antidepressants. METHOD: A meta-analysis was carried out to calculate odds ratios for the combined data. RESULTS: Self-harm or suicide-related events occurred in 71 of 1487 (4.8%) of depressed youths treated with antidepressants v. 38 of 1254 (3.0%) of those given placebo (fixed effects odds ratio 1.70, 95% CI 1.13-2.54, P=0.01). There was a trend for individual suicidal thoughts, attempts and self-harm to occur more often in youths taking antidepressants than in those given placebo, but none of these differences was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Antidepressants may cause a small short-term risk of self-harm or suicidal events in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder.

Language: en