The province of Quebec holds one of the highest rates of adolescent suicide in the world. Moreover, it appears that the vast majority of its teenage suicide completers are Canadians of French origin, although the highest incidence is being found in the Native Canadians communities. Adolescent suicide risk factors already recognized in the literature include mood disorders, older age, male gender, poor parent-child communication and substance abuse. Recent studies have been showing that adolescent suicide rates and antidepressant prescriptions appears to be negatively correlated. The main goals of this retrospective study were 1) to study the correlations between Quebec regional adolescent suicide rates and regional 2nd-generation prescriptions in 2004-2005 and 2) to study the consequences on teenage suicide rates of the 2004 U.S. FDA black-box suicidality warning made for adolescents taking antidepressant medication.

All (n = 533) files on suicides committed by individuals 19 years and younger in a seven-year period (1999-2005) were reviewed at the Quebec Coroner Office. Socio-demographical, clinical and psychosocial variables were used to compare suicide completers according to their region. Antidepressant prescriptions data for 2004 and 2005 was obtained from IMS Health Canada.

The negative correlation established between regional suicide rates and regional antidepressant prescriptions was not statistically significant in 2004 but became statistically significant in 2005 (p = 0.018).

The results are so far concordant with current literature findings. This ongoing study (until 2009) will hopefully result in recommendations on the use of antidepressants in the pediatric population.