Treatment for depression could reduce the incidence of suicide and requests for physician-assisted suicide, according to a study by Group Heath of Oregon. This supports the position of pro-lifers, who have long contended that depression is an under-appreciated factor in suicide requests.
The study of 100,000 patients treated for depression found that suicide attempts declined markedly during the first month of treatment. The study was published in the July edition of the American Journal of Psychiatry. The findings are of particular importance in Oregon, the only state to allow physician-assisted suicide.
