For the first time in decades public health data shows a sharp drop in US deaths from drug

overdoses both accidental and suicidal.

But at the same time, numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that overdoses

involving antidepressants have been on the rise for the past two decades.

Now the connection between overdoses and antidepressants is not a simple one.

Allison Aethi is a clinical psychologist and a behavioral scientist at Rand, the

nonpartisan research organization.

She also teaches at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

So, Allison, what is your biggest takeaway from this data?

Well, I think it's very heartening to see overdose deaths overall decrease. Right now we don't understand totally why the overall

numbers decreased or if this trend will be sustained, but it's really hopeful that things are taking a turn.

I think the other big takeaway from these data are that there are important differences

between suicidal overdose and unintentional overdose, and we need to tailor our treatments to match the needs of people who are at risk for one, the other, or for both.

Now the fact that the overdoses involving antidepressants have been on the rise, what do you make of that?

You know, it's really puzzling. I think first an important thing to know is that the CDC's data were looking specifically at rates of antidepressants in

overdose deaths. So the vast majority of suicide deaths in our country

unfortunately are suicide by firearms.

So the impact of antidepressants on that group

is really unknown.

But what we do see is there is that change

in antidepressants in overdose deaths,

whether they're suicidal or unintentional. antidepressants in themselves, but it could also mean, and I think this might be more likely, that people who are

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