Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study.
BACKGROUND: As many as 47% of adults over age 50 discontinue treatment with antidepressants after redeeming only one prescription. The study aim was to assess the risk of suicide in adults aged 50+ who discontinue antidepressants at an early stage of treatment. METHOD: Case control study of all indi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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2009
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| _version_ | 1826267909120327680 |
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| author | Erlangsen, A Agerbo, E Hawton, K Conwell, Y |
| author_facet | Erlangsen, A Agerbo, E Hawton, K Conwell, Y |
| author_sort | Erlangsen, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | BACKGROUND: As many as 47% of adults over age 50 discontinue treatment with antidepressants after redeeming only one prescription. The study aim was to assess the risk of suicide in adults aged 50+ who discontinue antidepressants at an early stage of treatment. METHOD: Case control study of all individuals aged 50+ living in Denmark and who initiated antidepressant treatment between July 1st 1995 and December 31st 2000 (N=217,123). Hazard ratios were calculated using Cox regression analyses, propensity score matching techniques, and marginal structural models. RESULTS: During the study period, 78,594 men and 138,529 women aged 50+ began treatment with an antidepressant medication, of whom 309 men and 229 women died by suicide. Men aged 50+ who discontinued treatment early had a suicide rate of 167 per 100,000 compared with 175 per 100,000 in those who continued refilling prescriptions; hazard ratio=0.98 [CI-95%: 0.78-1.23]. The suicide rate in women who discontinued treatment was 52 per 100,000 compared with 74 per 100,000 in those who continued refilling; hazard ratio=0.72 [CI-95%: 0.55-0.94]. Although people with previous psychiatric hospitalizations had greater risk of suicide than those without past hospital admissions, the difference was not significant in the adjusted model. LIMITATIONS: Prescriptions redeemed at pharmacies are our only indicator of treatment adherence. Also, information on severity of depression was not available. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a lower suicide risk among people over age 50 who seemingly follow treatment in comparison with those who discontinued treatment with antidepressants at an early stage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:01:29Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:3b050e4d-d6af-4b26-8a27-8ca05b279699 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T21:01:29Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:3b050e4d-d6af-4b26-8a27-8ca05b2796992022-03-26T14:05:08ZEarly discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:3b050e4d-d6af-4b26-8a27-8ca05b279699EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2009Erlangsen, AAgerbo, EHawton, KConwell, YBACKGROUND: As many as 47% of adults over age 50 discontinue treatment with antidepressants after redeeming only one prescription. The study aim was to assess the risk of suicide in adults aged 50+ who discontinue antidepressants at an early stage of treatment. METHOD: Case control study of all individuals aged 50+ living in Denmark and who initiated antidepressant treatment between July 1st 1995 and December 31st 2000 (N=217,123). Hazard ratios were calculated using Cox regression analyses, propensity score matching techniques, and marginal structural models. RESULTS: During the study period, 78,594 men and 138,529 women aged 50+ began treatment with an antidepressant medication, of whom 309 men and 229 women died by suicide. Men aged 50+ who discontinued treatment early had a suicide rate of 167 per 100,000 compared with 175 per 100,000 in those who continued refilling prescriptions; hazard ratio=0.98 [CI-95%: 0.78-1.23]. The suicide rate in women who discontinued treatment was 52 per 100,000 compared with 74 per 100,000 in those who continued refilling; hazard ratio=0.72 [CI-95%: 0.55-0.94]. Although people with previous psychiatric hospitalizations had greater risk of suicide than those without past hospital admissions, the difference was not significant in the adjusted model. LIMITATIONS: Prescriptions redeemed at pharmacies are our only indicator of treatment adherence. Also, information on severity of depression was not available. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a lower suicide risk among people over age 50 who seemingly follow treatment in comparison with those who discontinued treatment with antidepressants at an early stage. |
| spellingShingle | Erlangsen, A Agerbo, E Hawton, K Conwell, Y Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study. |
| title | Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study. |
| title_full | Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study. |
| title_fullStr | Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study. |
| title_short | Early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over: a population-based register study. |
| title_sort | early discontinuation of antidepressant treatment and suicide risk among persons aged 50 and over a population based register study |
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