Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces suicidal thoughts and depression

Taiwan: In a new study conducted by Guan-Wei Chen and the team it was shown that in individuals with significant mental illnesses, repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) proved effective and well-tolerated in lowering suicide thoughts and depression severity. The findings of this study were published in Frontiers in Psychiatry.

Suicidal conduct is a major public health issue across the world, accounting for 1.3 percent of all deaths. Every year, around 700,000 individuals commit suicide. Suicidal people can be treated with psychotherapy, electroconvulsive, social support intervention, treatment, and pharmacology with antidepressants, lithium, and clozapine. However, because of the complexities of suicide and the accompanying risk factors, it is difficult to recommend specific treatment protocols. Apart from the limitations in the evidence mentioned above, no meta-analysis has been conducted to quantify the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on suicide-related outcomes. As a result, the purpose of this study was to look at the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in treating suicidal thoughts in individuals with mental illnesses.

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards were followed by the researchers for this study. From their creation until July 22, 2021, major electronic databases were extensively searched. The primary outcome was the mean changes in suicidal ideation scores. The mean change in depression severity was the secondary endpoint.

The key findings of this study were as follows: