Antidepressants and the suicide rate: is there really a connection?

Matz Dahlberg and Douglas Lundin

A chapter in Substance Use: Individual Behaviour, Social Interactions, Markets and Politics, 2005, pp 121-141 from Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Abstract: Recent research claims that the major part of the observed reduction in suicide rates during the 1990s can be explained by the increase in the prescription of antidepressants. However, this conclusion is based on research that only looks at raw correlations; confounding effects from other variables are not controlled for. Using a rich Swedish data set, we reinvestigate the issue. After controlling for other covariates, observed as well as unobserved, that might affect the suicide rate, we find, overall, no statistically significant effects from antidepressants on the suicide rate; when we do get significant effects, they are positive for young persons. Regarding the latter result, more research is needed before any firm policy conclusion can be made.

Date: 2005
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.101 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.101 ... d&utm_campaign=repec (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:aheszz:s0731-2199(05)16006-3

DOI: 10.1016/S0731-2199(05)16006-3

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Advances in Health Economics and Health Services Research from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().