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The two study groups may not be comparable
EDITOR,--Susan S Jick and colleagues conclude their detailed study of suicide and prescribing of antidepressants by stating that their data are consistent with the hypothesis that those who are determined to commit suicide will do so even if one particular means (drug overdose) is made less available.1 Such a view is also supported by J Guy Edwards in his accompanying editorial.2 The data presented do not support these assertions.
In Jick and colleagues' study overall crude suicide rates were twice as high in the group who took other antidepressants (14.9/10000 person years) as in those taking tricyclic antidepressants (7.4/10000). This suggests that there may be differences between the two groups that were not adjusted for in the analysis (as adjustment for age, sex, and calendar year made little difference to the relative risks quoted). Such differences may include diagnosis and severity of depression, which may in turn affect risk of
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- Antidepressants and suicide
- Susan S Jick, Alan D Dean, and Hershel Jick
BMJ 1995 310: 215-218.[Abstract] [Full Text]
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