Relationship Between Antidepressants and Suicidal Risk in Adults

Running head: CONTEMPORARY MENTAL HEALTH
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Introduction:
This paper will provide critical analysis of the relationships between antidepressant and suicidal
risk in adults. The explored the theories surroundings the issue and highlight their prevalence in
contemporary nursing. Suicidal behaviors take over millions of individuals every year DSM V refer to
suicide as symptoms of some psychiatric disorder which is considered as the psychiatric emergency
(Shain 2016). The risk of suicide and suicidal behavior takes over more than a million individuals every
year worldwide. The non-fatal suicidal behavior is estimated to 25 to 50% times more common (Shain
2016). The world health organization reported that the annual report on the suicide rate is approximately
13 per 100000 individuals. In 2017, there are 6213 suicides in the United Kingdom and the republic in
Ireland. In the UK, men are three times as likely to commit suicide and at higher risk of committing
suicide compared to women (Pitman et al. 2017). An array of research suggested that although
antidepressants are widely prescribed for decreasing the symptoms of depression and risk of suicide,
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor may induce worse suicidal thoughts in vulnerable patients (Haw and
Hawton 2015). In the United Kingdom, the average of 16 suicides per day observed in countries where 4
to 5 deaths were observed as a result of consuming antidepressant (Haw and Hawton 2015). In June
2005, as discussed by González et al. (2016), the adolescents and adult aged in-between 18 to 25 years
experienced who were consuming specific serotonin inhibitors are more prone to suicidal thoughts. The
significance of this issues is that while antidepressants are given to reduce the suicidal thoughts, a
significant number of antidepressants increase the suicidal thoughts which reported 11,225 out of 856,493
(1.3%) teens and adults taking SSRIs in 2017 (Haw and Hawton 2015 ) . The health professionals are
guided by DSM 5 to ask the client regarding their past suicide attempts to diagnosis the disorder (Haw
and Hawton 2015 ) . Moreover, previously suicide was reserved to the diagnosed of borderline disorder
and major depressive but after conducting in-depth research the researchers uncovered the fact that
suicide attempt and risk of suicide can be facilitated by consumption of specific antidepressants
(McCormick, Murray and McNew 2015). This topic is important in contemporary nursing since it is a

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unique challenge to nursing care. The contemporary mental health professionals are peer workers who
once suffered from mental illness and experienced similar kind of emotional turmoil which is experienced
by many clients (O'Connor and Kirtley 2018). Many clients who consumed that certain serotonin
inhibitors are exhibit suicidal behavior or at high risk of committing suicide (O'Connor and Kirtley 2018).
After gaining an understanding of how anti-depressants and suicide risk is highly correlated,
contemporary mental health professionals would be able to understand the feelings of clients along with
their needs and able to improve the strategies to promote the wellbeing of the health professionals
(BriggsSlater and Bowley 2017).
Discussion:
While antidepressants are widely prescribed for reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety
and suicidal risk, there are some antidepressants drugs, especially some selective serotonin inhibitors
facilitate the risk of suicides in vulnerable patients. As discussed by there are a certain level of selective
serotonin reuptake inhibits such as paroxetine and citalopram and others were contraindicated in adults
and adolescents due to increased risk of suicide. As discussed by Serafini et al. (2017), selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a class of drugs which target serotonin inhibitors. While the exact
mechanism of the drug is unknown, this drug provided to the patients with bipolar, major depressive
disorder and anxiety to ease the symptoms of depression by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain
(Amita et al. 2015). The chemical name of serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine which is a
neurotransmitter responsible is for the feeling of happiness and wellbeing. It is used for transmitting nerve
cells and active in constricting smooth muscles. Moreover, as the precursor of melatonin, it helps in the
regulation of the biological sleep cycle as well as an internal clock (Rayan 2017). As discussed by
Gałecki et al. (2016), it plays a crucial role in appetite, emotions, cognitive, motor, and autonomic
functions. In depression and anxiety, the level of serotonin become extremely low which further affects
the mood, motor functions, blood clotting, bowel functions, and bone density (Biernacka et al. 2015).
Hence, when antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are administrated by

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health professionals, they believed to increase the extracellular level of serotonin by limiting the
reabsorption or reuptake into the presynaptic cells, increasing the level of serotonin in synaptic cleft
available for binding to the receptor such as postsynaptic receptor which is a membrane protein activated
in presence of neurotransmitters (Biernacka et al. 2015). It is called selective because it seems to
primarily affect serotonin and also have selectivity for other monoamine transporters, exhibiting weak
affinity for the norepinephrine and dopamine transporters (McCormick, Murray and McNew 2015).
The role of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in inducing suicidal ideation:
Suicidal ideation or suicidal thoughts are thoughts of committing suicide. While the underlying
reason behind the high risk of committing suicide can be many factors, FDA reported that the vulnerable
population with severe mental illness can be subjected to the risk of committing suicide. Taking an insight
into the situation, the considerate number of literature documented that it induces the risk of suicide,
especially in children and adolescents’ (Aghakhan et al. 2016). The person who experienced suicidal
thoughts or at higher risk of committing suicide, may feel trapped, have frequent mood swings. As
discussed by Aghakhan et al. (2016), ICD-10 cm codes are an assessment tool which is designed by world
health organization where suicidal ideation is fallen under R45.851 diagnosis index (Molero et al. 2016).
It was observed that with the lower dose of the antidepressant , adults and adolescents are more prone to
the situation Although the exact mechanism of how selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors facilities the
risk of suicide, FDA ( food and drug administration ) suggested that how selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors such as do not show activity on depression for a couple of weeks. It shows action by
worsening the symptoms first then improving it. During the first month of treatment with SSRI, the
symptoms of depression rapidly worsen since facilitate a greater degree of psychomotor retardation in
patients by increasing the reuptake initially before reducing the symptoms of depression or anxiety
(Molero et al. 2016). Psychomotor systems are the systems where movements and thinking are combined
which include balance and coordination. While a greater degree of psychomotor retardation induced in an
older population, it is a common symptom of depression (Hicks et al. 2016). Serotonin reuptake inhibitors