Effect of high frequency versus theta- burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on suicidality in patients with treatment- resistant depression
Acknowledgement to authors: Shobha Mehta, Jonathan Downar, Benoit H. Mulsant, Daphne Voineskos, Zafiris J. Daskalakis, Cory R. Weissman, Fidel Vila-Rodriguez, Daniel M. Blumberger
Date: 2022
Effect of high frequency versus theta-burst repetitive (2022) Actra Psychiatricia Scandinavica
With the increasing use of rTMS as a treatment for MDD, there is a need to better characterise its effects on suicidality. Participants with high baseline levels of suicidality may require more intensive or different forms of treatment. However, the potential for rTMS to provide relief to those patients with suicidality needs to be better understood.
Our analysis found a significantly higher decrease in total HDRS-16 score in suicidality remitters than in non-remitters. While a correlation between change in overall depression score and suicidality score has been reported in previous analyses,10,39-42 our analysis emphasises the importance of assessing and analysing suicidality as a separate outcome in treatment studies of MDD.
Updated: 4 August 2025
