The impact of trends in psychotropic prescribing on the method of suicide in the elderly.

Suicide rates in the elderly have declined in many countries in recent years. This decline has been reported to be associated with increased prescribing of antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics and antimanic drugs and reduced prescribing of barbiturates, hypnotics and sedatives. This study examined the relationship between prescribing patterns of individual psychotropic drugs and suicide rates by specific methods of elderly suicides. There was a negative correlation between the prescription of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, antimanic drugs and non-opiate analgesics and a decline in elderly suicide rates due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances, hanging, strangulation and suffocation, drowning, firearms and explosives, and jumping from high places. There was a positive correlation between the prescription of barbiturates, hypnotics and sedatives and elderly suicide rates due to poisoning by solid and liquid substances, hanging, strangulation and suffocation, drowning, firearms and explosives, and jumping from high places. This study demonstrated that changes in prescribing patterns of individual psychotropic drugs do influence elderly suicide rates of the commonly used methods of suicide and suggest that this may be due to more accurate diagnostic-specific prescribing of psychotropic drugs.