Abstract
Suicide Attempts in Substance Abusers: Effects of Major Depression in Relation to Substance use Disorders
Aharonovich E~~Liu X~~et al
This study investigated whether subtypes of DSM-IV depression would predict suicidal behaviour among 602 patients with substance dependence. Major depression was classified as occurring before dependence, during abstinence, or exclusively during periods of substance use. The authors found that all types of depression increased the risk for suicide attempt. Major depression that occurred before the patient became substance dependent predicted severity of suicidal intent, while major depression during abstinence predicted number of attempts. (9 refs)