The posts by Yola and RBruceUK directly above were very helpful in clarifying what I couldn't quite get the hang of. Thank you.

Currently in the news - another tragic outcome at an Australian mental hospital where a patient stabbed two nurses, one of whom died.

VIDEO and text summary: http://orange.iprime.com.au/index.php/news/prime-news/nurse-stabbed-

At http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/three-inquiries-into-fatal-hospital-stabbing-20110106-19hmr.html
it states that how "a senior nurse could be stabbed to death by one of his psychiatric patients at a mental health facility will be examined by at least three separate investigations",

also, that "across the state the association had received more reports of nurses being attacked in the workplace"

and that a month ago, after investigations regarding two suicides by patients in mental health units, Deputy State Coroner Hugh Dillon "recommended that visitors to psychiatric units be searched for dangerous items".

At http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/nurses-killing-prompts-safety-review/story-e6frg6nf-1225983245405
it says that the nurse died after being stabbed with a knife by a patient who was classified as "low risk".

Continued from last comment:

Will 'at least three inquiries' get to the bottom of things? How many inquiries will it take before the obvious is recognized?

A "low risk" patient suddenly becomes homicidal(high risk). That ought to give a clear indication that whatever drugs he was on weren't actually working for him. From that fairly obvious conclusion the rest of the science should follow.

And why is it that psychiatric wards need security staff these days, and calls are made to require visitors to be searched? This wasn't the case before the days of Prozac.

I do not understand how teams of investigating experts cannot see that there are real problems that they need to research. Easily accesible to them is the work that has already been done by others, including that done by Dr Lucire.

Why are investigations by experts continually failing to see the answers right in front of them? Is it because they do not want to see?

It's also the ignorance amongst the general practicitioners.

An eldly
man who was stable on an antidepressant(Don't know which one). His GP told him he didn't need them any more. He stopped taking the lot immediately. He spent the next three months in a pyschiatric hospital. He had seizures and was mentally very very unwell.

All, but especially, long term users of these drugs must be withdrawn very slowly under clear supervision.

I was on them for a long time and withdrawn and now never been better.
My grandchild now has a grandmother. My adult son one day said,"It's great to have a mother back".

People here in Australia are told you have depression and will require medication for life. You must never stop. Even when the side effects start appearing they change to another SRRI and then the snowball beings. As you know I am not a doctor but I don't believe depression is a life illness but a transition in a difficult part of lifes journey.

This is off the train of thought but the local GP's don't even know the word akathasia so how can they recognize it when their patients are suffering from it.

Most of the people I know here in Oz receive antidepressants from GP's not psychiatrists.

Question asked on 13 May 2010 (session 54-1) and published in Questions & Answers Paper No. 197 <http://bulletin/prod/la/lapaper.nsf/V3QnBySN/541~197/$file/197-QA-S.pdf>
.10218—PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS
Mr Daryl Maguire to the Deputy Premier, and Minister for Health—
1. Has the Minister and her predecessors been warned by individuals that suicides committed by patients and clients under mental health care could be caused by psychiatric drugs:
1. that affect persons who have a genetically determined inability to metabolise them;
2. that such persons should be recognised by their adverse medication responses?
2. How many persons have committed suicide whilst under mental health care in the years 2003 to 2008?
3. How many have committed homicide?
4. Do these figures represent a deterioration or improvement in the numbers of suicides under mental health care:
1. before 1990;
2. before 2002?

Answer—
I am advised:
1. NSW Health advises me that there has been correspondence to previous Health Ministers in relation to this issue. I have also received such correspondence. The Chief Psychiatrist in consultation with the NSW Mental Health Clinical Advisory Council is currently considering these issues.
2. According to the Mental Health Client Incident Information System, there were 937 notifications of suspected suicides of persons under mental health care that were reported to the NSW Health Department between 1 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2008.
3. According to the Mental Health Client Incident Information System, there were 43 notifications of suspected homicides by persons under mental health care that were reported to the NSW Health Department between 1 Jan 2003 and 31 Dec 2008.
4. It is not possible to compare the data over this time period due to the fact that different methodology was used to collate this data

Help <http://bulletin/prod/web/common.nsf/key/siteAbout> | Site Index <http://bulletin/prod/web/common.nsf/key/siteMap> | Feedback <http://bulletin/prod/web/feedback.nsf/V3NonPoliticalFeedback> | Copyright & Conditions <http://bulletin/prod/web/common.nsf/key/SiteLegalNotice>

10219—SUICIDES CAUSED BY ANTIDEPRESSANTS
Mr Daryl Maguire to the Deputy Premier, and Minister for Health—
1. How many suicides have been investigated by toxicologists or geneticists, as recommended in The Pharmacogenetics Journal to which a NSW psychiatrist has contributed?
2. Has NSW Health had genetic evaluations for "ability to metabolise drugs" as is done by medical examiners and coroners in the USA and UK to distinguish between suicide caused by mental illness and suicide caused by psychiatric drugs?
3. Can the Minister provide advice from the Department of Health on the issue of antidepressant-induced akathisia suicide and homicide?
4. Is the Minister aware:
1. of the claim antidepressant drugs increase suicide;
2. this is the subject of public health advisories in all countries other than Australia and NSW?
5. Is the Minister aware that antidepressants caused about 1 in 500 users to commit suicide in clinical trials presented to the US FDA for the purposes of licensing and follow-up studies?

Answer—
I am advised:
1. Any deaths and suicides of people under the care of public mental health services are investigated by the NSW Coroner. Questions relating to the Coronial process should be directed to the NSW Attorney General.
2. NSW Health has not funded any research into 'genetic evaluations for ability to metabolise drugs'.
3. to (5) The Chief Psychiatrist in consultation with the NSW Mental Health Clinical Advisory Council is currently considering these issues.
4. I invite the Member to submit any studies or material he may have on these issues for further consideration