Suicide reduced by anti-depressants

A recent statistical analysis from Australia says that older people taking anti-depressants are less inclined towards committing suicide.

However doctors feel that its not so much that anti-depressants do, but its the family doctors who by paying closer attention to peoples psychological stress, help treat them. There has been an increasing role of general practitioners in recognising symptoms of depression and responding to them. With data collected from Australian Bureau of Statistics and IMS Health Australia, scientists compared number of suicides to number of anti-depressant prescription. Even though the overall suicide rate remained the same, there were substantial reduction in suicide occurrence in the age groups with the highest exposure to antidepressants. However doctors still argue that, it is the medical treatment, and not necessarily the use of anti-depressants that reduces suicide.