BACKGROUND: Previous reports of suicide risk in patients with anxiety disorders 
have been inconsistent.
METHODS: Using the FDA database, we assessed suicide and suicide attempt risk 
among patients, participating in recent clinical trials evaluating new 
anti-anxiety medications, with diagnosis of panic disorder (PD), social anxiety 
disorder or social phobia (SP), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post 
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
RESULTS: Overall, among 20076 participating anxious patients, 12 committed 
suicide and 28 attempted suicide. The annual suicide risk rate was 193/100000 
patients and annual suicide attempt risk was 1350/100000 patients.
LIMITATIONS: Clinical trial data have limited applicability to clinical 
practice. Participants in clinical trials are a highly selected, 
nonrepresentative sample of the clinical population. A number of patients never 
complete clinical trials and thus data are based on a limited sub-sample. These 
trials were not primarily designed to assess suicide risk.
CONCLUSIONS: Suicide risk in patients with anxiety disorders is higher than 
previously thought. Patients with anxiety disorders warrant explicit evaluation 
for suicide risk.