Antidepressant Prescribing and Suicides in Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) from 1999 to 2008: An Ecological Study

Anti-depressant (AD) prescribing rose in several countries worldwide over the last 20 years. Some concerns have been raised over the fact that AD use, mainly Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) may increase the risk of suicide. AD consumption and suicide rates data in Emilia-Romagna region, Italy have been extracted from regional government databases on AD prescribing and suicide rates, from 1999 to 2008. A statistical model using ordinary least squares linear regression was employed. The overall suicide rates decreased during the period under examination, in spite of the observed exponential increase in use of ADs. Despite the doubling in prescribing of SSRI and newer ADs in recent years, there continues to be no negative impact on suicide rates in Emilia Romagna

Admissions for personality disorders in Italy from 1988 to 1998

BACKGROUND: Personality disorders affect a substantial proportion of the population. It is unclear, however, whether the burden of personality disorders on modern mental health services has been increasing. To fill this gap, we analyzed trends in admissions for personality disorders in Italy from 1988 to 1998. METHODS: We used the yearly data from the Italian Central Institute of Statistics to analyse trends in the total number of admissions for personality disorders and in the total number of first admissions for personality disorders. RESULTS: The absolute number of admissions for personality disorders almost trebled from 1988 to 1998, as well as the proportion of all psychiatric admissions that were for personality disorders. Whilst there has been a marked increase in the absolute number of first admissions, the proportion of all first psychiatric admissions that were for personality disorders showed a steady but modest increase, from 5.7% to 7.6%. CONCLUSION: In Italy, the burden of personality disorders on modern mental health services has been increasing. In terms of public health, these findings highlight the urgent need of developing policies to tackle the increasing demand of care of this difficult-to-treat patient population

Sales of antidepressants, suicides and hospital admissions for depression in Veneto Region, Italy, from 2000 to 2005: an ecological study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increased prescription of antidepressants has been consistently associated with a decrease in suicide rates in several countries. The aim of this study is to explore antidepressant consumption, suicide rates and admission for depression in the Veneto Region, Italy, in order to see whether the same pattern could be detected.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from the Italian Ministry of Health (admissions for depression), the Pharmacy Service of a Local Health Unit (antidepressant prescribing) and from the Epidemiological System of the Veneto region (suicide rates) were collected from 2000 to 2005 for the Veneto region.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Suicide rates did not show any marked increase but were stable in males and females. Antidepressant prescribing increased exponentially over the period examined, whilst admissions for depression markedly decreased. The trend for an exponential increase in antidepressant prescribing in the Veneto region is shared with other countries and locales.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It is possible that the increase in antidepressant prescribing might be associated with earlier treatment of depression, thus decreasing the likelihood of aggravation of depression.</p

The Impact of Infectious Disease-Related Public Health Emergencies on Suicide, Suicidal Behavior, and Suicidal Thoughts:A Systematic Review

Background: Infectious disease-related public health emergencies (epidemics) may increase suicide risk, and high-quality evidence is needed to guide an international response. Aims: We investigated the potential impacts of epidemics on suicide-related outcomes. Method: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, PsyArXiv, medRxiv, and bioRxiv from inception to May 13–16, 2020. Inclusion criteria: primary studies, reviews, and meta-analyses; reporting the impact of epidemics; with a primary outcome of suicide, suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, and/or self-harm. Exclusion criteria: not concerned with suicide-related outcomes; not suitable for data extraction. PROSPERO registration: #CRD42020187013. Results: Eight primary papers were included, examining the effects of five epidemics on suicide-related outcomes. There was evidence of increased suicide rates among older adults during SARS and in the year following the epidemic (possibly motivated by social disconnectedness, fears of virus infection, and concern about burdening others) and associations between SARS/Ebola exposure and increased suicide attempts. A preprint study reported associations between COVID-19 distress and past-month suicidal ideation. Limitations: Few studies have investigated the topic; these are of relatively low methodological quality. Conclusion: Findings support an association between previous epidemics and increased risk of suicide-related outcomes. Research is needed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on suicide outcomes

Antidepressants, benzodiazepines and azapirones for panic disorder in adults:a network meta-analysis

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To compare individual active drugs (antidepressants, benzodiazepines and azapirones) and placebo in terms of efficacy and acceptability in the acute treatment of panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia. To rank treatments for panic disorder (antidepressants, benzodiazepines, azapirones and placebo) according to their effectiveness and acceptability

A Comparison of Inpatient Adult Psychiatric Services in Italy and Canada

We examine the possibility the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) bed count for Italy may be an underestimation of the actual beds available. We compared bedded services for mental disorders in two regions in Italy and Canada respectively. We found out that if we consider acute psychiatric beds only, the district of Ferrara has 30 beds (8.5 per 100,000) and the Middlesex and Elgin Counties have 89 beds (16.3 beds for 100,000). However, if we include the rehabilitation beds (that are located within a hospital setting in Ontario and in a residential community setting in Ferrara), we find that the district of Ferrara has 95 beds (27.0 per 100,000) and the Middlesex and Elgin Counties have 176 beds (32.3 per 100,000). As a result, the 10/100,000 beds rate for Italy reported by the OECD is an underestimate compared to figures reported for most other countries, as the beds included are hospital beds only

A systematic review of the use of telepsychiatry in depression

Telepsychiatry, the use of televideo in psychiatric assessment and treatment, is utilized throughout Canada. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common, with significant burdens of suffering and cost. This systematic review explores the literature on the use of televideo to diagnose and treat MDD, particularly acceptability and patient satisfaction, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness. A literature search was conducted for years 1946 to 2019. Study eligibility criteria included: MDD as the condition of interest, use of televideo technology, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), Adult (18&nbsp;years or older) population, any clinical setting, and any healthcare professional providing care. The study must have included at least one of the following measures, satisfaction, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness. Fourteen studies were included. Satisfaction is equivalent to or significantly higher than face-to-face intervention. Both televideo and control groups found relief from depressive symptoms, with differences either statistically insignificant or in favour of televideo. Despite increased cost upfront for televideo due to the technology required, televideo would eventually be more cost-effective due to reducing travel expenses. Limitations include that there is little RCT data, and what exists often uses a collaborative treatment model. Many studies consisted solely of U.S. Veterans, and have limited generalizability. Further research needed to directly compare psychiatrist assessment over televideo versus in-person, and determine if particular patient subgroups benefit more from televideo or in-person intervention.Systematic review registration number: CRD42016048224

Vortioxetine for depression in adults

[no abstract available