Premium
Suicide risk during anticonvulsant treatment
Author(s) -
Pompili Maurizio,
Tatarelli Roberto,
Girardi Paolo,
Tondo Leonardo,
Baldessarini Ross J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.023
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1099-1557
pISSN - 1053-8569
DOI - 10.1002/pds.1936
Subject(s) - medicine , psychiatry , prudence , anticonvulsant , mood , adverse effect , pharmacoepidemiology , mood disorders , epilepsy , pharmacology , anxiety , philosophy , theology , medical prescription
Recent research findings suggest possible increases in risk of suicidal behaviors among patients treated with anticonvulsants. The available evidence appears to support such a risk more clearly for patients diagnosed with epilepsy rather than with primary psychiatric disorders. However, the studies involved are limited by providing associational findings that may be confounded by several uncontrolled variables. Such limitations should be considered in future research on adverse effects of anticonvulsants and other centrally acting drugs. For now, however, clinical prudence calls for routine, ongoing assessment of mood and suicidal thoughts among neurological or psychiatric patients, whether or not treated with particular drugs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.