Pharmacologic approaches to suicide prevention
Open accessAbstract
Suicide is a leading cause of death that is often preventable. This article reviews the role of medications in treating suicidal behavior and in preventing suicide. For an acute suicidal crisis, ketamine, and perhaps esketamine, are emerging as important tools. For patients with chronic suicidality, clozapine remains the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved antisuicidal medication, and its use is predominantly for patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. An abundance of literature supports the use of lithium among patients with mood disorders, including those with major depressive disorder. Despite the black box warning regarding antidepressants and suicide risk among children, adolescents, and young adults, antidepressants are widely used and remain helpful in reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, primarily among patients with mood disorders. Treatment guidelines focus on the importance of optimizing treatment of the psychiatric conditions known to be associated with suicide risk. For patients with these conditions, the authors recommend focusing on suicide as an independent treatment target and using an enhanced medication management strategy that includes maintaining a supportive, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship; flexibility; collaboration; measurement-based care; consideration of combining medications with nonpharmacologic, evidence-based strategies; and ongoing safety planning.
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Treatment guidelines recommend an enhanced medication management strategy that includes maintaining a supportive, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship; flexibility; collaboration; combining medications with evidence-based non-pharmacological strategies; and ongoing safety planning.
“It is recommended to use an enhanced medication management strategy that includes maintaining a supportive, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship; flexibility; collaboration; consideration of combining medications with evidence-based non-pharmacological strategies; and ongoing safety planning [34].”
From Targeting Psychological Pain After a Suicide Attempt: Scoping Review and Intervention Protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [34]
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Targeting Psychological Pain After a Suicide Attempt: Scoping Review and Intervention Protocol
Comendador, L., Palao, D. J., Sanz, A., Andreo-Jover, J., Baca-García, E., Barrigón, M. L., Bobes-Bascarán, M. T., Botí, M. Á., Diaz-Marsá, M., Elices, M., et al. (2026) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm15083124 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…is recommended to use an enhanced medication management strategy that includes maintaining a supportive, non-judgemental therapeutic relationship; flexibility; collaboration; consideration of combining medications with evidence-based non-pharmacological strategies; and ongoing safety planning [34].”
- Authors
- Zisook, S., Domingues, I., & Compton, J.
- Affiliations
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Venue
- Focus
- Published
- 2023-04
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 137-144
- ISSN
- 1541-4094 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-4108
- PMC
- PMC10172553
- OpenAlex
- W4365518366
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 1.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- FOCUS The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Keywords
- suicide prevention, ketamine, esketamine, clozapine, lithium, antidepressants, suicide risk, major depressive disorder, mood disorders, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, black box warning, safety planning, measurement-based care, therapeutic relationship
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