Balancing on the Edge of Death: Suicide Attempts and Life-Threatening Overdoses Among Drug Addicts

A national sample of 2,051 drug addicts admitted to treatment in Norway in 1992-93 were studied. The prevalence of non-fatal overdoses & suicide attempts & predictors of & co-variation between such behaviours was examined. Almost half the clients reported having experienced one or more life-threatening overdoses. A third reported one or more suicide attempts. Suicide attempts were more often reported among those who had overdoses, & the number of life-threatening overdoses & number of suicide attempts were positively & moderately associated. The substantial co-variation between suicide attempts & drug overdoses suggests some common underlying causal factors possibly related to heavy drug use & poor social integration. (31 refs.)