Antidepresent Linked to Violence and Suicide

A type of antidepressant, already suspected of raising the risk of suicide, may also cause a few people to become violent. Researchers reported on Monday that people who took GlaxoSmithKline's antidepressant Paxil were twice as likely to have what was called a "hostility event" as those given a placebo. Paxil is in a class of drugs called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.They came under scrutiny when some doctors reported that teenagers on the drugs might be more likely to commit suicide. In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered strong label warnings on several SSRI drugs. British researchers used several sources of information to see what the risk of violent behaviour was among people taking SSRIs. They found that 60 out of 9 219 people who took Paxil, or 0,65 percent, had "a hostility event," compared to 20 of 6 455 given a placebo, or 0,31 percent. The researchers said, however, that such violence was likely to be rare. - Reuters
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