So the rate of suicide in the U.S. army has dramatically reduced. Presumably this is not due to the decrease in stress levels of the average GI. No, it turns out that the chief suspect here is Lariam, an anti-malarial drug which has not been routinely used for more than a year. The drug has been shown to induce depression and thoughts of suicide.
In Australia it is reported that the rate of anti-depressants being issued to toddlers has undergone a large increase in recent years. Currently 5,000 children under 10 are in receipt of such medication. These selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were shown in a study last year to produce suicidal thoughts in some children.
The youngest suicide on record in Oregon, U.S., is a 7 year old. In South Africa it’s 10, Brazil 9.
