Table 1.
Risk of suicidal behaviour associated with use of SSRIs to treat depression in children and adolescents26
| Drug | Duration of trial(s) (weeks) | Adverse outcomes (drugv placebo)* | Odds ratio (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoxetine | 8 | Suicide attempts: 2.4% (6/249) v 1.9% (4/209) | 1.3 (0.4 to 4.4) |
| Sertraline | 10 | Suicide related events (includes suicidal thoughts): 2.7% (5/189) v placebo: 1.1% (2/184) | 2.4 (0.5 to 12.4) |
| Citalopram | 8-10 | Self harm: 8.0% (17/213) v 4.9% (10/205) | 1.6 (0.8 to 3.5) |
| Paroxetine | 8-12 | “Possibly related to suicidality”: 3.7% (14/378) v 2.5% (7/285) | 1.5 (0.6 to 3.7) |
| Pooled estimate | — | — | 1.66 (0.83 to 3.5)† |
*
Risks in relation to specific drugs were pooled from up to three trials. When data were presented separately we focused on risk in relation to self harm rather than suicidal thoughts.
†
Pooled estimates derived from bayesian random effects model.