This is a theory about why some drugs may seem to increase suicide rates. One theory that I have about why some psychiatric drugs seem to increase the chances that one will engage in suicide is that by labeling suicidal feelings as a quasi-neurological problem, to varying degrees sometimes sends implicit messages to the individual being treated with psychiatric drugs that there is nothing that one can do to stop wanting to die, other than take a drug that will hopefully work.
Of course, some psychiatric drug prescribers frame psychiatric drugs as a tool to assist therapy, and that seems less likely to send a message that feelings of wanting to die are not something that one can potentially change on one’s own through solving problems and making changes to one’s own life. However, as far as I know, plenty of individuals are prescribed psychiatric drugs without counseling, and again, this may send the implicit or explicit message that wanting to die is a medical issue; and if then, it is a medical issue, one must be treated medically, and there may not be much that one can do about it.
In short, prescribing psychiatric drugs for feelings of suicide may decrease the amount of hopefulness that one has that one can create a life worth living for one’s own self, and that may be why these drugs seem to increase the chances that one may engage in suicide.
Therefore, it may not actually be a primarily biological mechanism which creates the increase chances of someone engaging in suicide who is prescribed psychiatric drugs. It may actually be more of a psychological chain of events that involves implicit messages sent through the behavior of helpers. Again, this is just a theory, but I think that it is most likely correct.
Additionally, if suicide is really a neurological problem (which in most all cases it is more than likely not), then it should be treated by neurologists, not psychiatrists. If a desire to engage in suicide is due to not feeling like one’s own life is worth living, it seems that making changes to one’s own life is the best way to help feel that one’s life is worth living, not taking some drug. All of this is one individual’s opinion and theory and subject to change; however, it seems that there is a good chance that if this can be measured quantitatively somehow, it will most likely be shown to be true.
