“For more than a decade, health officials have watched in vain as suicide rates climbed steadily — by 30 percent nationally since 2000 — and rates in the V.A. system have been higher than in the general population. The trends have defied easy explanation and driven investment in blind analysis: machine learning, or A.I.-assisted algorithms that search medical and other records for patterns historically associated with suicides or attempts in large clinical populations.”

MISSD also hopes the VA will closely examine the role polypharmacy plays in medication-induced suicide among veterans.

Read the full article https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/23/health/artificial-intelligence-veterans-suicide.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Health

“Young men using the hair loss drug finasteride, sold under brand-name Propecia, may be at higher risk of experiencing depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts,” a new Boston study finds. Researchers identified 356 reports of suicidality, and almost 3,000 reports of other psychological symptoms among men taking finasteride.

Read the full article at https://www.healthline.com/health-news/researchers-investigate-link-between-hair-loss-drug-and-thoughts-of-suicide#Strong-link-between-drug-and-symptoms

Despite limited evidence of efficacy and mounting safety concerns, “the use of medication from 2 or more psychotropic classes, i.e., polypharmacy, has increased among US youths,” finds a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Polypharmacy increases the risks of serious adverse drug effects, such as akathisia, delirium, and mania, that can cause suicidality.

Get the full story at https://www.madinamerica.com/2020/11/increasing-numbers-children-prescribed-multiple-psychiatric-medications/