Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Antidepressants behind 52 percent of all suicides among women

Incredible data have just been revealed that antidepressant drugs were behind 52 percent of all suicides among women (18-84) in Sweden (2006)

This is not data from a limited study; it instead concerns information on a national level for ALL suicides (18-84 years) for 2006. The information is unique; registries now exist in Sweden making it possible for the National Board of Health and Welfare to see how many of the suicides were preceded by psychiatric drug treatment.

Among a total number of 377 women who committed suicide, 197 (52%) had filled a prescription for antidepressants within 180 days before their death. And 29 women (8%) had filled a prescription for neuroleptics ("antipsychotics") ONLY within 180 days before the suicide.

This means that 229 women - 60% - of those who committed suicide (18-84) in Sweden (2006) had filled a prescription for antidepressant drugs OR neuroleptics within 180 days before their suicide.

Neuroleptics were involved in total in 97 (26%) of the suicides among women, (68 women, 18%, got BOTH antidepressants and neuroleptics). NOT included in these figures is the percentage of women who got other forms of psychiatric drugs, like benzodiazepines.

The data are revealed just after the news broke that pharmaceutical companies have systematically hidden negative and exaggerated positive results in their clinical trials of antidepressants (see article Antidepressant Studies Unpublished in NYT), thus misleading patients and doctors for many years.

READ MORE @ TRANS WORLD NEWS