http://18thoutlawpsychiatry.blogspot.com/Psychiatric drugs & ѕυιcιdє in Sweden 2007
A report based on data from the National Board of Health and Welfare
By Janne Larsson
Summary
The purpose of this investigation has been to find data about the preceding psychopharmacological treatment for all persons who committed ѕυιcιdє in Sweden 2007.
The method used was to request relevant unpublished data from the National Board of Health and Welfare 1, and from the regional departments of the National Board of Forensic Medicine 2, mainly using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The Centre for Epidemiology in the National Board of Health and Welfare, has released data about all ѕυιcιdєs in Sweden 2007 and the preceding psychopharmacological treatment in these cases. The six regional offices of the National Board of Forensic Medicine have released data about the autopsies done for 2007 and the psychiatric drugs found in the blood of the persons who had committedѕυιcιdє.
The regional offices of the National Board of Health and Welfare have released extensive data about all ѕυιcιdєs committed in health care and within four weeks after last visit, which by law should be reported to the regional offices (one third of all ѕυιcιdєs for 2007). The investigation is done outside the research community, as a critical journalistic project. In this there are certain limitations: the data forming the basis of the report are in parts subject to secrecy laws, meaning that the full picture cannot be presented.
The result shows that 1126 definite ѕυιcιdєs were committed in Sweden in 2007 (325 women and 801 men). Of these persons 724 (64%) had filled a prescription for psychiatric drugs within a year of the ѕυιcιdє. Of the 325 women 250 (77%) had filled a prescription for psychiatric drugs; for the 801 men the figure was 474 (59%). Of the 325 women 196 (60%) had filled a prescription for antidepressants; for the 801 men the figure was 306 (38%).
In the forensic toxicological analyses traces of psychiatric drugs were found in 575 persons (52%) of the 1109 analyses done. Traces of antidepressant drugs were found in 132 (41%) of the women investigated.
For the subgroup of ѕυιcιdєs 2007 committed in health care and within four weeks after last visit (cases which by law should be reported to the regional offices of the National Board of Health and Welfare) it was found that 86% of the cases (338 of 393 reported cases) had got psychiatric drugs within a year of the ѕυιcιdє. In 304 ofthese cases (77%) the persons were treated with antidepressants and/or neuroleptics (antipsychotic drugs).
The conclusion is that a large percentage of the persons who committed ѕυιcιdє in Sweden in 2007 had received extensive treatment with psychiatric drugs within a year of and close to the ѕυιcιdє.
1 The National Board of Health and Welfare,
http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/ english
2 The National Board of Forensic Medicine,
http://www.linkedin.com/ companies/swedish-board-of- forensicmedicine
Introduction
This is a report about ѕυιcιdєs committed in Sweden (with around 9 million citizens) in 2007 and the psychiatric drug treatment that preceded these ѕυιcιdєs.
The report has three main parts:
• It gives unique data about all ѕυιcιdєs committed in 2007 and the psychiatric drugs that the persons received within a year of the ѕυιcιdє.
• It compares these data with autopsy reports about psychiatric drugs found in the blood (of 98%) of all the persons who committed ѕυιcιdє in 2007.
• It gives extensive information about the psychiatric drug treatment given within a year to the subgroup of persons who committed ѕυιcιdє in 2007 and then were reported to the National Board of Health and Welfare by reason of law - one third of all ѕυιcιdєs committed that year.
The data presented on these pages should have been published by the responsible national authorities.
It can be assumed that the situations described in this report are the same or very similar in other countries in the Western world.
It is time for full investigations in many countries of the actual effects of psychiatric drugs.
It is my hope that the data presented will lead to politicians, officials, journalists and others starting to demand basic changes in the ways persons with mental problems are taken care of.
Janne Larsson, Reporter, janne.olov.larsson@telia.com
Published October 2009
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A warning must be issued to persons who take psychiatric drugs and to relatives to patients: It can be almost as dangerous to stop taking these drugs as it is to start with them. The harmful changes in the brain caused by the drugs can become very hard for the person who abruptly stops taking them. A qualified physician must carefully supervise the withdrawal.
http://www.theoneclickgroup.co.uk/docuмents/ME-CFS_docs/Psychiatric%20Drugs%20&%20ѕυιcιdє,%20Sweden%202007.pdf