The risk of antidepressant usage and suicides has caused a warning by the FDA. This warning alerts the provider that suicide may be a problem, and requires extra monitoring. Because of this warning, the use of antidepressants decreased. Suicides increased!
Now, trends indicate that suicides are the highest one month prior to treatment, but drop 50% the first month of treatment, and continue to decrease as treatment is provided.
It did not matter whether the treatment was antidepressants alone, or antidepressants and psychotherapy, or psychotherapy.
The highest number of suicides occurred with those referred to a psychiatrist (potentially, these patients had the highest suicide risk initially), decreased only slightly for those referred to a psychologist, and were the lowest for those patients who were treated by their primary provider (presumably, their suicide risk was the lowest initially).
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