Prevalence and correlates of opioid-involved suicides in Maryland

Objective Involvement of opioids in suicides has doubled during the past two decades, worsening a major public health concern. This study examined the characteristics of opioid-involved suicides. Methods The sample of decedents (N = 12,038) in Maryland between 2006 and 2020 was used to compare the characteristics of opioid-involved suicides (n = 947) with suicides not involving opioids (n = 6,896) […]

Institutional failures as structural determinants of suicide: The opioid epidemic and the great recession in the United States

We investigate recent trends in U.S. suicide mortality using a “structural determinants of health” framework. We access restricted-use multiple cause of death files to track suicide rates among U.S. Black, White, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino/a men and women between 1990 and 2017. We examine suicide deaths separately by poisonings and nonpoisonings to illustrate that […]

Understanding opioid use within a Southwestern American Indian Reservation Community: A qualitative study

Purpose Morbidity and mortality due to nonprescription use of opioids has been well documented following the significant increase in the availability of prescription opioids in the early 2000s. The aim of this paper is to explore community beliefs about correlates of opioid risk, protective factors, and behavioral functions of opioid misuse among American Indian youth […]

Growth in suicide rates among children during the illicit opioid crisis

This article documents child suicide rates from 1980 to 2020 in the United States using the National Vital Statistics System Multiple Cause of Death database. After generally declining for decades, suicide rates among children aged 10–17 accelerated from 2011 to 2018 in an unprecedented rise in both duration and magnitude. I consider the role of […]

Veterans in crisis: Identifying and reducing suicide

The base of this Integrative Review is built on the foundation of information from research by Ramchand (2021), “Veterans are committing suicide at a rate twice the non-veteran.” (p.2) and “From 2005 to 2018 the suicide rate went from 20% to 32%” in the veteran population. (p.3). According to Ahmedani et al. (2019), “The majority […]

Overdose: Heartbreak and hope in Canada’s opioid crisis

In this urgent and humane look at a devastating epidemic, Perrin draws on behind-the-scenes interviews with those on the frontlines, including undercover police officers, intelligence analysts, border agents, prosecutors, healthcare professionals, Indigenous organizations, activists, and people who use drugs. Not only does he unveil the many complexities of this situation, but he also offers a […]

Factors associated with suicide in people who use drugs: A scoping review

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 […]

The ever-changing narrative: Supervised injection site policy making in Ontario, Canada

Background: We analyze the ongoing debate surrounding supervised injection sites in Ontario, Canada and changing policies that impact host communities. Despite a plethora of evidence proving the effectiveness of supervised injection sites on harm reduction strategy, the topic remains highly controversial with constantly changing rhetoric in the Ontario drug policy landscape. Methods: We reviewed government reports, policies, […]

Opioid prescribing and suicide risk in the United States

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. […]

Opioid use as a proximal risk factor for suicidal behavior in young adults

Introduction There is a concomitant rise in suicide rates with the prevalence of opioids involved in overdose deaths, especially among adolescents and young adults. However, there are limited studies on whether opioid use prospectively predicts suicidal behavior in youth. Methods Our sample included 183 psychiatric patients (18–30 years) admitted for a suicide attempt (SA), have current suicidal […]

Multiple suicide attempts associated with addiction to tramadol

Background The opioid tramadol is used as analgesic drug, and more recently was also proposed for the management of major depressive disorder. However, growing evidence suggests a link between opioid system dysfunction and suicidal behaviors, raising the question of tramadol use in view of the high addictive and suicidal risk. Here, we present the case […]

Comparing attitudes toward stigmatized deaths: Suicide and opioid overdose deaths

Death by suicide and opioid overdose has been associated with negative stigmatization. It is important to investigate whether a suicide death and a fatal opioid overdose share similar stigmatized reactions and how attitudes shape the public willingness to intervene in prevention and treatment efforts. Respondents were recruited for an online survey through convenience sampling and […]

Pain catastrophizing as a predictor of suicidal ideation in chronic pain patients with an opiate prescription

Chronic pain and opioid use are associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation and behaviors (SIB) in cross-sectional studies, particularly among individuals who catastrophize about their pain. This study examined the longitudinal association between  two styles of pain coping, catastrophizing and hoping/praying, as predictors of subsequent SIB, as well as possible mediators of this association […]

Suicide, opioids, chronic pain, and mental health disorders: A narrative review

Suicide rates are on the rise in the United States as is mortality associated with opioid toxicity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 7% of opioid overdose deaths are suicide, but this  number may be under-reported. Many people who use opioids or have opioid use disorder, (OUD), may have “passive” intentions […]

Drug overdose deaths in the United States, 1999–2020

Deaths from drug overdose continue to contribute to overall mortality and the lowering of life expectancy in the United States (1–4). This report uses the most recent data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) to update statistics on deaths from drug overdose in the United States, showing rates by demographic group and by specific […]

The impact of family engagement in opioid assisted treatment: Results from a randomised controlled tria

Background: Family interventions in substance use disorders (SUD) treatment is limited despite the evidence for benefits. Providing family interventions is hampered by patient resistance, social stigma, logistics and factors related to the capacity of the treatment programmes. Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine the association between family engagement in treatment, and opioid […]

Concomitant opioid and benzodiazepine use and risk of suicide attempt and intentional self-harm: Pharmacoepidemiologic study

Background: Overdose due to concomitant use of opioids and benzodiazepines has been raised as a major public health concern, although little research has examined whether this risk extends to intentional overdose or other self-harm. This study examined whether prescription opioids and benzodiazepines interact to increase the rate of suicide attempt and intentional self-harm. Methods: The study analyzed […]

Suicide by opioid: Exploring the intentionality of the act

Opioid toxicity can result in life-threatening respiratory depression. Opioid-overdose mortality in the United States is high and increasing, but it is difficult to determine what proportion of those deaths might actually be suicides. The exact number of Americans who died of an opioid overdose but whose deaths might be classified as suicide remains unknown. It is important […]

Suicide and the opioid overdose crisis among American Indian and Alaska Natives: A storm on two fronts demanding swift action

The opioid crisis in the United States has received national attention and critical resources in the past decade. However, what has been overlooked is the effect the opioid crisis may be having on a three-decade suicide crisis among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities that already have too few resources to address behavioral and […]

Suicide as a hidden contributor to the opioid crisis and the role that primary care and emergency medicine play in addressing it

Deaths from overdose have risen dramatically over the past decade, driven mainly by opioids. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance on safe prescribing, safe storage of medications, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), and the use of Naloxone to reverse an overdose. Even with this guidance, overdose deaths continue to rise. Suicide prevention […]

Current prescription opioid misuse and suicide risk behaviors among high school students

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In previous studies, researchers have reported that youth with a lifetime history of prescription opioid misuse (POM) are at an increased risk for suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts. In this study, we investigate whether the association between youth POM and suicide outcomes differs by recency of POM (ie, none, past, or current misuse). […]

Ecological factors associated with suicide mortality among non-Hispanic whites

Background In this paper, we examine the ecological factors associated with death rates from suicide in the United States in 1999 and 2017, a period when suicide mortality increased in the United States. We focus on Non-Hispanic Whites, who experienced the largest increase in suicide mortality. We ask whether variation in suicide mortality among commuting […]

A cross-sectional study of opioid involvement in non-poisoning suicide: Risks and prevention opportunities

Background The current opioid epidemic has drawn attention to drug overdose deaths including unintentional and suicide poisoning deaths which peaked in the United States in 2017. Concurrent with the opioid epidemic, the number and rate of suicides in the United States has increased. At the same time, the proportion of suicide deaths across cause of […]