Washington: The SSRI class of antidepressants is thought to have brought down the suicide rates in the U.S. According to a study in the journal, Public Library of Science Medicine, nearly 30,000 lives have been saved by the use of the new SSRI antidepressants, presently used to alleviate depression.
The common anti-depressants prescribed for depression are Zoloft, Paxil and Prozac, which belong to the SSRI group.Dr. Julio Licinio of the University of Miami, who conducted the study said,” Our findings certainly suggest that the introduction of SSRIs has contributed to reduction of suicide rates in the United States. However, the findings do not preclude the possibility of increased risk of suicide among small populations of individuals.”
He further added,” Much of the psychiatric community fears that the absence of treatment may prove more harmful to depressed individuals than the effects of the drugs themselves. Most people who commit suicide suffer from untreated depression."
