Suicide Assessment Methodology Study (SAMS)

This is a pilot study to begin to develop a measurement procedure to help guide the clinical management of suicide risk in people beginning a type of antidepressant medication called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The goals of the study are: 1) to identify the best method and assessment measures to evaluate the severity of suicidal ideation, 2) to determine the appropriate frequency and duration of assessment required to adequately evaluate this suicidal ideation, 3) to evaluate the presence of symptoms that are associated with suicidal ideation (such as anxiety, panic attacks, difficulty in sleeping) and 4) to identify the most critical time periods during which suicidal ideation appears or worsens (such as how long after initiation of treatment or dosage increase).

In all, 300 adult participants with major depressive disorder (MDD), between the ages of 18 and 75, may be enrolled at primary and psychiatric care sites across the US. All patients will be treated with an SSRI for eight weeks. The choice of SSRI used in treatment will be chosen by the study physician at each site. For this study, physicians will choose from the following six SSRIs: citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, paroxetine, paroxetine-CR, and fluoxetine.

Patients beginning an SSRI for MDD in "real world" psychiatric and primary care settings, will have clinic visits and receive evaluations of their symptoms of depression, side effects, suicidal thinking and symptoms that are thought to be associated with suicidal risk, every other week for eight weeks. They will be evaluated by phone for symptoms and side effects each week they do not come to the clinic. They will also receive phone calls three times a week for the first two weeks of the study, after beginning the antidepressant, and after a dose increase to evaluate suicide risk.