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Can better recognition and treatment of depression reduce suicide rates? A brief review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Z. Rihmer
Z. Rihmer*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry No. XIII, National Institute for Psychiatry and Neurology, Budapest27, Pf. 1. 1281, Hungary
*
*Correspondence and reprints.
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Summary

Depression, the major cause of suicide, is prevalent but an under-detected, underdiagnosed and, under-treated illness and it is particularly true for depressed suicide victims. However, several studies consistently show that successful treatment of depression not only relieves depressive symptoms, but also decreases and makes suicidality vanish. If the rate of treated depressions in the population increases gradually, at a given point it will appear in the decline of the suicide rates. Although absolute evidence is lacking at present, recent reports from some European countries strongly suggest that increasing utilisation of antidepressants is one of the most important contributing factors in the decrease in suicide rates.

Keywords

antidepressantsdepressionsuicidesuicide preventionsuicide rates
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 16 , Issue 7 , November 2001 , pp. 406 - 409
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2001

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