Resource Tag: DRUGS

Objective: To assess the long term effect of United Kingdom legislation introduced in September 1998 to restrict pack sizes of paracetamol on deaths from paracetamol poisoning and liver unit activity. Design: Interrupted time series analyses to assess mean quarterly changes from October 1998 to the end of 2009 relative to projected deaths without the legislation based on […]

Background Suicide is a significant contributor to global mortality. People who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased risk of death by suicide relative to the general population, but there is a lack of information on associated candidate factors for suicide in this group. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of […]

Police negotiators provide leadership and expertise in the de-escalation and resolution of critical incidents, including responding to individuals exhibiting suicidal behaviour. This study describes the frequency and characteristics of suicide-related negotiation incidents in Queensland, Australia as classified in the Queensland Police Service Negotiator Deployment Database, between 2012 and 2014. Incidents were analysed to understand the […]

Aims: We investigated the association between problematic use of alcohol and/or drugs (PUAD) and the incidence, urgency, and mode of discharge for a subsequent episode of self-harm (SH) or suicidal ideation (SI). Methods: This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of individuals admitted to hospital for an index episode of SH/SI (2010-2014) using linked data from hospital […]

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Behavioral Health: Results from the 2021 and 2022 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health presents data on key substance use and mental health indicators by sexual identity and gender among adults aged 18 or older in the United States. Estimates are based on pooled data from the 2021 and 2022 […]

Deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide in the United States have risen alarmingly over the past two decades and exponentially in recent years. Between 2011 and 2021, annual deaths have more than doubled—rising from  an already startling figure of 104,379 deaths in 2011 to a staggering 209,225 deaths in 2021.1 Most of that increase was […]

Background: Little has been published on the sources of medications used in suicide by self-poisoning. Aims: To examine data on self-poisoning occurring through the use of medications returned to the next of kin after the death of a family member or friend (“returned medication”) and to examine public policies relevant to this issue. Method: A review of charts […]

Objective: This study estimates associations of regional change in opioid prescribing with total suicide deaths and suicide overdose deaths involving opioids. Methods: A panel analysis was performed with 2009–2017 U.S. national IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Database data and National Center for Health Statistics mortality data aggregated into commuting zones (N=886), which together span the United States. […]

Background: Justice-involved individuals are at elevated risk for suicidal behavior; however, research examining risk for suicidal behavior in pretrial jail diversion programs (pretrial diversion) is limited. Aims: We aimed to test (1) associations between depressive symptoms and alcohol and drug use, and suicide attempt history (SAH), and (2) interactions between depressive symptoms and alcohol and drug use in […]

Introduction There is an increasing concern about the misuse of prescription drugs. Misuse refers to the intentional repurposing of prescribed drugs and/or the use of illicitly sourced prescription drugs, which may be counterfeit or contaminated. Drugs with the greatest potential for misuse are prescription opioids, gabapentinoids, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs and stimulants. Objective The aim of this study […]

Knowledge regarding deaths due to suicide or alcohol- or drug-related causes may be limited by inconsistent and/or restrictive case definitions, resulting in concerns regarding validity of findings and underestimates of burden. In this proof-of-concept study, we assessed varying case definitions (suicide, alcohol-related, and drug-related mortality using underlying-cause-of-death (UCOD) versus multiple-cause-of-death (MCOD) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth […]

Background: Suicide remains a major public health problem in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine trends in suicide ideation, planning, and attempts among a national sample of US adults. Method: We used aggregated 2015–2018 data from the National Survey Drug Use and Health Survey. We utilized demographic and substance use questions with each […]

Purpose There is growing interest in the concept of ‘deaths of despair’ (DoD)—defined as deaths from three causes: suicide, drug poisoning, and alcohol-related conditions—as a more comprehensive indicator of the impact of psychological distress on mortality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the degree of commonality in trends and geographic patterning of deaths […]

Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and rates within the United States have risen over the past two decades. Hence, there is a critical need for novel tools to treat suicidal ideation and related mental health conditions. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)/ecstasy and classic psychedelics may be two such tools. Aims: The aim […]

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are important risk factors for suicide, yet little is known about how suicide risks vary by specific SUDs. We examined these risks for the first time in a large general population to facilitate comparisons across SUDs. A national cohort study was conducted of all 6,947,191 adults in Sweden. SUDs (opioid, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogen, cannabis, amphetamine, […]

IMPORTANCE The increase in deaths related to drugs, alcohol, and suicide (referred to as deaths from despair) has been identified as a public health crisis. The antecedents associated with these deaths have, however, seldom been investigated empirically. OBJECTIVE To prospectively examine the association between religious service attendance and deaths from despair. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS […]

The increase in deaths related to drugs, alcohol, and suicide (referred to as deaths from despair) has been identified as a public health crisis. The antecedents associated with these deaths have, however, seldom been investigated empirically. Objective  To prospectively examine the association between religious service attendance and deaths from despair. Design, Setting, and Participants  This population-based cohort study […]

Backgrounds: Major depressive disorder is an ordinary mental disorder, suicide and physical health deterioration are two major sequelae. Some studies indicate that metabolic levels are associated with suicide attempt. Previous studies have focused on the relationship between suicide attempts and metabolism in elderly patients with MDD, while ignore the young people. The aim of this study […]

The use of alcohol and other drugs has been identified as a significant factor related to suicide through multiple pathways. This paper highlights current understanding of their contributions to suicide in Canada and identifies opportunities for enhancing monitoring and prevention initiatives. Publications from 1998 to 2018 about suicide in Canada and that referred to alcohol […]

Background Substance use disorders are a major risk factor for suicide. However, less is known about specific risk factors for suicide in people with substance use disorders. Methods This population cohort study assessed suicide among people treated for drug use disorders in Denmark 2000–2010, and described risk factors for completed suicide. Data from 27,942 individuals […]

Objective To examine associations between gabapentinoids and adverse outcomes related to coordination disturbances (head or body injuries, or both and road traffic incidents or offences), mental health (suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdoses), and criminality. Design Population based cohort study. Setting High quality prescription, patient, death, and crime registers, Sweden. Participants 191 973 people from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register who collected […]

High rates of suicide attempts and domestic violence (DV) in women of reproductive age group have been reported from South India, but the association between them was not studied. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess whether DV is a risk factor for attempted suicide in married women of reproductive age group. A hospital-based case-control […]

We propose a novel pathway for the development of suicidal thoughts between two established suicide risk factors, loneliness and drug use, which have not been examined in a nonclinical sample. Results indicated a significant indirect (mediated) effect of loneliness on suicidal ideation via drug use (ab = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.02Ð0.18), suggesting that loneliness may […]