OBJECTIVE: Suicide attempts predict repeat attempts and suicide completion. Major depression requiring hospitalization is a risk factor for suicidal acts, particularly in the 2 years following discharge. The authors prospectively studied the adequacy of antidepressant treatment and its impact on suicidal acts in the 2 years after hospitalization for major depression. METHOD: Patients (N=136) with major depression were interviewed at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after admission. At each interview, the presence of major depression and suicidal acts and the adequacy of antidepressant treatment were assessed. Cox’s proportional hazards analysis with time-varying covariates was used to model the risk of a suicide attempt during the follow-up period. RESULTS: Major depression in the follow-up period increased the risk of a suicide attempt sevenfold. For each suicide attempt in a subject’s history, the risk for an attempt in the follow-up period increased by 30%. Antidepressant treatment during the follow-up pe...