Antidepressants risk suicide, violence, homicide

Peter C Gøtzsche, a professor at Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen, argues that antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are linked to increased risk of suicide, violent acts and homicide across all age groups, challenging assurances from regulators and the pharmaceutical industry that these drugs are safe.

The rapid response highlights that the US Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged in the past that SSRIs can raise risks of self-harm and aggressive behavior, yet these warnings have not prevented widespread prescribing despite evidence of severe adverse outcomes and regulatory hesitation to enforce stricter safety measures.

Gøtzsche criticizes psychiatric and pharmaceutical practices for minimizing harms and stresses the need for greater scrutiny of antidepressant use, suggesting that continuing high levels of prescription without transparent risk communication may contribute to preventable tragedies.