Parasuicide and psychotropic medication: Clinical data and drugs used for overdose in 202 parasuicides

We have earlier reported on medications used for overdose in 812 consecutiv e parasuicides. Different studies have found some kind of depression in 30- 80% of parasuicides. Therefore, we then interpreted our finding that only 5 % used antidepressants for overdoses as a possible indicator of underprescr ibing of these drugs in suicidal patients. In this study based on an extens ive interview of 202 hospitalized parasuicides (69% psychiatric in-patients ), we found that women used antidepressants and anxiolytics relatively more frequently for overdose (11% and 21%) than did men (3% and 8%), younger pe rsons used more frequently analgesics (25%), and elderly more frequently hy pnotics (75% in men above 75 years of age, and 57% in women above 75). Inte restingly, those who took antidepressants in overdose reported lower suicid e intent, while those who took anxiolytics reported more depressive symptom s. It is concluded that depressive syndromes frequently includes symptoms o f anxiety and that such patients should be treated with antidepressants and not with anxiolytics alone.