Long-term sedatives are effective treatments for acute suicidality

the verdict

REFUTED

the evidence says no

Recorded sources

0 sources for · 2 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that long-term sedatives are effective treatments for acute suicidality?

No. Evidence indicates that long-term sedatives and benzodiazepines are not effective treatments for acute suicidality and are instead frequently associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation and self-injurious behaviors.

Verdict: REFUTED · 0 sources for, 2 against · Last checked 4 Aug 2026

The analysis

The retrieved literature contains no evidence that long-term sedatives are effective for acute suicidality; rather, studies such as FAERS disproportionality analyses link sedative-hypnotics and benzodiazepines to heightened risks of suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior. Therefore, the claim is refuted by the available data.

Evidence against · 2

An exploratory study evaluating the 20 medications most commonly associated with suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior in the FAERS database

2025

Adverse event database analyses identify sedative-hypnotics and benzodiazepines among the medications most strongly correlated with suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior.

Get citation

Xie, W., Xiang, D., Li, Y., Ge, M., & Deng, A. (2025). An exploratory study evaluating the 20 medications most commonly associated with suicidal ideation and self-injurious behavior in the FAERS database. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40360-025-00858-7

See more details

More against · 1

What does data on adverse reactions reveal about benzodiazepines and suicide-related risk?: A disproportionality analysis using FDA FAERS pharmacovigilance data.

2025

Pharmacovigilance data demonstrate that many widely prescribed benzodiazepines carry significant and elevated risks of triggering suicide-related behaviors rather than serving as effective treatments.

Get citation

W, G., C, Z., R, Y., & L, Y. (2025). What does data on adverse reactions reveal about benzodiazepines and suicide-related risk?: A disproportionality analysis using FDA FAERS pharmacovigilance data.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000044797

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What does the evidence say?

Receipt History

first checked04 Aug 2026

judged → REFUTED · 1704 Aug 2026

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