REDUCTION IN SUICIDAL IDEATION WITH SSRIS - A REVIEW OF 459 DEPRESSED-PATIENTS

This paper is a review of 459 outpatients treated in double-blind clin ical drug trials using similar protocols which compared the clinical r esponses to specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors, norepinephrine reu ptake inhibitors, mixed norepinephrine serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-2 antagonists and placebo. Although improvements in the tota l score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression did not differ sig nificantly among the groups, there were differences in the profile of response based on analysis of the items of the scale. The most strikin g difference was the significantly more rapid and effective improvemen t in depressed mood and the lessening of suicidal ideation among the p atients treated with specific serotonin reuptake inhibitors.