SSRIs and suicide: risks seem to be similar to risks with tricyclics

From my experiences concerning my daughter, it is clear that when
anti-depressants (especially ssri's) are used for bi- polar patients
(diagnosed or not), without a mood stabiliser there is definately a much
increased risk of suicide.In my daughter's case she continually od'd
before being put on a mood stabiliser and ssri's definately made her
illness much worse. Perhaps it would be wise to screen for bi-polar when
presented with a depressed patient. Not that, in my opinion many mental
health professionals or gp's would know how to do this.

Competing interests:
None declared