Letter

Antidepressants and suicide: Rising prescription rate does not mean rising rate of new users

BMJ 2004; 329 doi: 10.1136/bmj.329.7463.461 (Published 19 August 2004)
Cite this as: BMJ 2004;329:461.1

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  1. Graham Aldred, research associate,
  2. David Healy, director (healy_hergest@compuserve.com)
  1. North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Hergest Unit, Ysbyty Gwynedd, North Wales LL57 2PW
  2. North Wales Department of Psychological Medicine, Hergest Unit, Ysbyty Gwynedd, North Wales LL57 2PW

    EDITOR—The figures put forward in Gunnell and Ashby's paper on suicide rates and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, indicative of a rising prescription rate since the launch of these drugs, may be misleading, in that a rising prescription rate does not mean a rising rate of new users.1 A formal model that translates prescriptions into patients, that we hope to submit for peer review later this year, …

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