Antidepressants and Youth Suicide in New York City, 1999–2002

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo determine the proportion of youth suicides in New York City from 1999 to 2002 in which antidepressants were detected at autopsy.MethodThis is a medical examiner surveillance study of suicides in New York City among those younger than 18 years of age. The outcome measure is serum toxicology for antidepressants.ResultsFrom 1999 through 2002, there were 41 individuals younger than 18 years of age among residents of New York City who committed suicide. Thirty-six(87.8%) had a serum toxicological analysis and an injury death interval of 3 days or less. There was one (2.8%) suicide in which both buproprion and sertraline were detected at the time of autopsy. Antidepressants were not detected in any of the other youth suicides.ConclusionsThe detection of antidepressants at autopsy was quite rare in youth suicides in New York City from 1999 to 2002.