Toxicity of antidepressants: rates of suicide relative to prescribing and non-fatal overdose.

Journal article

BACKGROUND: Self-poisoning is a common method of suicide and often involves ingestion of antidepressants. Information on the relative toxicity of antidepressants is therefore extremely important. AIMS: To assess the relative toxicity of specific tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), a noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (NaSSA), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). METHOD: Observational study of prescripti...

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Authors: Hawton, K; Bergen, H; Simkin, S; Cooper, J; Waters, K

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
• Volume: 196
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 354-358
• Publication date: 2010-05-01
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.070219
• EISSN: 1472-1465
• ISSN: 0007-1250
• Language: English
• Keywords: England; Drug Prescriptions; Drug Overdose; Wales; Young Adult; Child; Humans; Aged; Adolescent; Suicide; Antidepressive Agents; Adult; Middle Aged