[Suicide, antidepressant prescription and unemployment in Andalusia (Spain)]

To analyze the trend in suicide mortality in Andalusia from 1975 to 2012 and its relationship with unemployment and the use of antidepressants.

Poisson's segmented regression models were used to estimate changes over time. The association between suicide and the factors examined was measured using Spearman's correlation coefficient.

Suicide mortality patterns in men and women are rising. The largest increase was found in people aged from 15 to 44 years, with an annual percentage rate change of 1.21 (95%CI: 0.7-1.7) for men and 0.93 (95%CI: 0.4-1.4) for women.

Mortality by suicide has increased in Andalusia since 1975 in all age and gender groups except for women aged 65 years or above. During the last few decades, an upward trend has been observed in young people and a stable or falling trend in the remaining population. Temporary variations in suicide rates are not associated with unemployment rates or with changes in antidepressant prescription.