Suicide attempts and overdoses among adults entering addictions treatment: Comparing correlates in a U.S. national study

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence 2011-12, Vol.119 (1), p.106-112
• Main Authors: Bohnert, Amy S.B, Roeder, Kathryn M, Ilgen, Mark A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addiction; Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Battered Child Syndrome - metabolism; Battered Women - psychology; Battered Women - statistics & numerical data; Behavior, Addictive; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depressive symptoms; Drug addiction; Drug Overdose; Female; Helpseeking; Heroin - poisoning; Humans; Intravenous drug addiction; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Overdose; Overdoses; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual Behavior - statistics & numerical data; Substance use; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Substance-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Suicidal behaviour; Suicide; Suicide - psychology; Suicide - statistics & numerical data; Suicide attempt; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data; United States; Violence; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.05.032

Abstract Background Suicide attempts and non-fatal overdoses are both associated with substance use. The aim of the present study was to examine correlates of suicide attempts and non-fatal overdoses simultaneously among individuals seeking addictions treatment. Methods A large U.S. national sample of individuals entering addictions treatment participated in a cross-sectional survey ( n = 5892). Multinomial logistic regression modeling tested the adjusted associations of violence, injection drug use, specific substances, and depressive symptoms with a four-category outcome variable based on prior histories of suicide attempt and non-fatal overdose (neither, suicide attempt only, overdose only, both), adjusting for demographic and treatment characteristics. Results Sexual and physical victimization was associated with suicide attempts with or without overdoses (ORs 1.25–2.84), while perpetrating violence was associated with having experienced either or both outcomes (ORs 1.25–1.56). Depressive symptoms had a stronger association with suicide attempts (OR = 3.05) than overdoses (OR = 1.29). Injection drug use was associated with overdoses with or without suicide attempts (ORs 2.65–3.22). Individuals seeking treatment for marijuana use were less likely have overdosed or attempted suicide (ORs 0.39–0.67), while individuals seeking treatment for heroin use were more likely to have overdosed (OR = 1.46). Seeking treatment for use of more than one substance was associated with overdose and overdose and suicide attempt (ORs 1.58–2.51), but not suicide attempt alone. Conclusions The present findings indicate that suicide and overdose are connected yet distinct problems. Individuals who have had a history of both may be a group with particularly poor psychological functioning as well as more severe drug-related problems.