Antidepressants at Autopsy in Hispanic Suicidal Youth in Miami-Dade County, Florida*

Abstract

Controversy has surrounded the use of antidepressants and suicidal behaviors in youth. This study reviewed the Medical Examiner's Office records of 253 persons aged 24 years or younger classified as suicides in Miami-Dade County, Florida, from 1990 to 2007. Information was collected regarding demographic information, suicidal characteristics, psychiatric and psychosocial factors, and toxicology results. Eighty-five percent of the sample was men, and 53.4% of the subjects were Hispanic. Consistent with previous literature, the existence of antidepressants at autopsy was rare; present in only 6% (n=15) of the victims. The occurrence of antidepressants was not significantly different between Hispanics (n=7) and non-Hispanics (n=8). The incidence of antidepressants was weakly correlated with a tendency to be men and no history of psychiatric illness. The presence of antidepressants in Hispanic youth suicide victims was similar to non-Hispanics.

Psychiatric Medication Intake in Suicide Victims: Gender Disparities and Implications for Suicide Prevention

“…The majority of suicide victims in the study's sample were not taking any from the searched psychiatric medications, a result which is in accordance with those of most similar studies . Among those who did so, women were much more frequently under treatment; all relevant studies confirm the primacy of females regarding this parameter .…”

“…A considerable proportion of suicide victims are under psychiatric medication(s) when they die. Research has shown that antidepressants (with frequencies ranging between 5.9% and 29%), antipsychotics (1.4–20.4%), antiepileptics (4.9%), and benzodiazepines (10.7–43%) are the main psychiatric drugs found in the victims’ postmortem toxicological examinations .…”

“…Studies on this topic are predominately focused on particular subpopulations of suicide victims; that is, either on people who died due to jumping from a height , or on either young or elderly suicide victims , or, finally, on victims from minority ethnic groups . Others have searched for particular psychotropics (e.g., only sedatives) , or involved psychiatric medications plus alcohol and opioids .…”

Do antidepressants make children and adolescents suicidal?

“…Moskos et al 46 13-21 years (n = 151) Utah, 1996-1998 They found no therapeutic or sub-therapeutic levels of psychotropic medications across a sample of 151 consecutive deaths from suicide in youth aged 13-21 years. Cortes et al 47 <25 years old (n = 253) Miami-Dade County, 1990County, -2007 Antidepressants were found in 6% (n = 15) of those adolescents who died by suicide.…”