Determinants of Suicidal Ideation: the Role of Substance use Disorders

891 hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of nonpsychotic major depressive disorder received a standardized assessment to examine the relationship between admission suicidality & demographic, psychiatric history, & admission variables. In this sample of patients with unipolar major depressive disorder, higher current drug &/or alcohol dependency, & high current use of alcohol of other substances of abuse were independently associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation. (33 refs.)