By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    An Expert’s Guide To Building and Improving Endurance
    June 30, 2022
    medical assistants
    What Do Medical Assistants Do On a Day to Day Basis?
    April 5, 2022
    superfoods to help with prostate health
    10 Healthy Foods That Can Help Protect Your Prostate
    August 29, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cost crisis
    What If the Health Care Cost Crisis Solves Itself?
    May 11, 2013
    Do You Need Life Insurance? What Does It Cover?
    December 23, 2022
    HIE metal plans
    The Four “Metal Plans” of Health Insurance Exchanges
    May 28, 2013
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: If the Wife Takes an Antidepressant, is the Husband Protected From Suicide?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > News > If the Wife Takes an Antidepressant, is the Husband Protected From Suicide?
NewsSpecialties

If the Wife Takes an Antidepressant, is the Husband Protected From Suicide?

Rhona Finkel
Rhona Finkel
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

About one in every 10 Americans takes an antidepressant these days.

It’s a hip thing to do. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention Data Brief, “Antidepressant Use in Persons Aged 12 and Over: United States, 2005–2008,” shares some interesting statistics about how usage has grown, and who’s leading the charge. For example,

About one in every 10 Americans takes an antidepressant these days.

It’s a hip thing to do. A Center for Disease Control and Prevention Data Brief, “Antidepressant Use in Persons Aged 12 and Over: United States, 2005–2008,” shares some interesting statistics about how usage has grown, and who’s leading the charge. For example,

More Read

Dental Anxiety: Why It’s Common And How To Deal With It
Person-Centered HealthCare: Living Well
Interview with Tim Dawson, Chief Architect at Vital Images
Brain Injury Survivor Shares His Story
Top 10 General Dental Procedures and How They Work
  • Antidepressants were the third most common prescription drug taken by Americans of all ages in 2005–2008 and the most frequently used by persons aged 18–44 years.
  • From 1988–1994 through 2005–2008, the rate of antidepressant use in the United States among all ages increased nearly 400%. AND
  • Women are 2½ times more likely to be taking an antidepressant than men.

Perhaps it’s not unrelated, then, given that depression is the major risk factor for taking one’s one life, that suicide rates have been decreasing in this country since 1985. In fact, from 1985-2004, the suicide rate dropped 13%, with declines among both genders, both more declines among men.

The discrepancy is similar among a variety of cultures and places. For example, in Finland, the number of suicides in 2007 declined by one-third from 1990, and the suicide rate among males was dropping so rapidly that the number of male suicides dropped in 2002 to a level not seen since the 1960s. Those years saw a simultaneous increase in antidepressant usage.

Suicide rates in Finland. See the numbers start to decline with the advent of the new antidepressants.

A Finnish study points out what seems to be painfully obvious:

“the increased use of [antidepressants] and especially of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) is associated with decreased rate of suicides.”

However, point out Raimo K. R. Salokangas, MD, PhD, Msc, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Turku in FInland,, and lead author on the article “Increased Use of Antidepressants in Women Decreases Suicides in Men: An Ecological Study,” the suicide rate declined more in men than in women, while the rates of antidepressant-prescriptions grew faster among women than men.

The authors asked, in short, What gives?

So, using nationwide data on completed suicides and antidepressant prescriptions between 1994-2001, the authors determined that, in fact, “antidepressant prescriptions in women significantly explained suicide rate in men.”

Yes, they factored in men’s use of antidepressants, as well, and, sure enough, even with variable removed, the findings still stood.

They conclude that:

“It is possible that increased use of antidepressants in women, in addition to decreasing their own depressiveness and anxiety, also leads to decreased depressiveness in their close social networks, thereby decreasing stress and suicidality in men belonging to this network.”

It’s quite an interesting finding, since it lends itself to a belief that depression is contagious in a way, something that has been backed up by previous research.

For example, Howes et al (1995) found that roommates of persistently depressed people scored more highly on depressive scales over the course of their study. And Abela (2009) found that in negatively attached children, when their parents’ depressive symptoms increased, so did theirs.

Sometimes the best thing you can do to help a depressed man in your life. . .is start taking the pills you wish he’d take, yourself.

REFERENCES

Haukka J et al. Antidepressant use and mortality in Finland: a register-linkage study from a nationwide cohort. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2009; 65:715-720.

Salokangas RKR. Increased Use of Antidepressants in Women Decreases Suicides in Men: An Ecological Study. The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders.

Filed under: Candida Abrahamson PhD

TAGGED:anti-depressantsdepressionpharmaceuticals
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

News

Guns and Violence: A Surgeon Speaks Out

December 18, 2012
Specialties

Invasion of the C.Diff

August 26, 2012
orthopedic appointment
OrthopaedicsSpecialties

Is It Your First Orthopedic Appointment- What Questions to Ask

November 28, 2022
difference between dementia and alzheimer's
News

Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease: What Is the Difference?

March 14, 2022
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?