By Jimmy Downs

Wednesday Oct 31, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- It is hard to explain why, but a new study in The Primary Care Companion to CNS Disorders suggests that increased antidepressant use in women may reduce the risk of suicides in men.

R. K. Salokangas from University of Turku in Turku Finland and colleagues conducted an statistical analysis and found an association between antidepressant use in women and risk of suicides in men.

The authors say in their report that the suicide rate has been on the decline in many countries while the rate of antidepressant use has been on the rise.  They have previously found that during the period from 1994 through 2001, the suicide rate decreased more in men than women whereas use of antidepressants increased more in women than men.

The researchers speculated that the increase in the use of antidepressants in women had something to do with the decrease in suicide rate in men.

For the study, the researchers analysed data on the suicide rate and reimbursed antidepressant medications in the whole population in Finland between 1994 and 2001.

After adjusting for age, time of antidepressant use and region and the effect of increased antidepressant use in men, the rate of suicides in men was 30 percent lower in regions where use of antidepressants in women was increased most ,compared to regions where women used less antidepressants.

However, increased use of antidepressants in men was not associated with decreased risk of suicides in women.

The researchers concluded "Increased prescription of antidepressants in women associates with a decreased suicide rate in men. Increased use of antidepressive medication in women may decrease depressiveness in their microsocieties and thereby reduce the risk of suicides also in men."