BACKGROUND: The literature concerning the net effect of atypical antipsychotic medication on suicidality is not consistent. OBJECTIVES: The empirical literature relating to the efficacy of pharmacological intervention with atypical antipsychotics in esquizophrenic or schizo-affective patients is comprehensively reviewed. METHODS: MEDLINE, LILACS and Cochrane Library were used to search for articles from 1964 to 2009 using these key-words: "suicidal behavior" e/ou "suicide" e "atypical antipsychotics" e/ou "antipsychotics" e/ou "clozapine". RESULTS: The strongest and perhaps unique evidence has been shown for clozapine, which seems to have a clinically relevant advantage over other second-generation antipsychotics for reducing suicidality temptation. DISCUSSION: Clozapine is the unique medication that modulates suicidal behavior. Its action is unknown but is not related do clinical improvement. It is the unique drug approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent suicide in esquizophrenic patients but the criteria for his use is uncertain.
Atypical antipsychotic; clozapine; esquizophrenia; schizo-affective disorder; suicidality
