Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026

Network Pharmacology and Validation of the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Qiangzhifang in a Chronic Restraint Stress-induced Depression Rat Model
Published on: June 6, 2025
Antidepressant therapy in severe depression may have different effects on ego-dystonic and ego-syntonic suicidal
Louise Brådvik1, Mats Berglund
1Division of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University Hospital, 221 85 Lund, Sweden.
Abstract:
The objective of the present study was to investigate whether ego-dystonic and ego-syntonic suicidal ideation occurred at different frequencies during antidepressant therapy. A blind evaluation has been performed on records of 100 suicides with a primary severe depression and 100 matched controls, admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, Lund, Sweden. Ego-dystonic suicidal ideation was more commonly reported during adequate treatment as compared to ego-syntonic ideation (P = .004). Men who committed suicide during adequate antidepressant therapy more often reported ego-dystonic suicidal ideation earlier in their lives compared with those who were not treated (P = .0377). This may indicate that treatment failure for ego-dystonic ideation was a precursor of their suicides. Consequently, ego-dystonic ideation seems to show a poorer response to antidepressant therapy as compared to ego-syntonic ideation, which may be more directly related to depression. Ego-dystonic ideation is proposed to be related to depressive psychosis.
Related Concept Videos
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Antidepressant Drugs: Tricyclics, SSRIs, and SNRIs
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
Antidepressant Drugs: Overview
