Author: James Anderson

A Closer Look at Substance Use and Suicide American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal

Suicide, suicidal ideation, and suicidal attempts are major concerns for individuals who misuse alcohol, as alcohol use can lead to impaired judgment, decreased inhibitions, and impulsiveness. Call now to connect with a treatment provider and start your recovery journey. Culturally, it is considered taboo and often the language we use is both polarizing and stigmatized. It is important to make the space to discuss thoughts and feelings as they relate to suicide so those suffering from its weight might seek the help they need more easily. This is especially important in cases where an individual might be suffering from an addiction to alcohol as well as suicidal thoughts.

A particularly troubling finding was that nearly a quarter of all those who committed suicide under the age of 21 tested positive for alcohol at the time of death. This serial cross-sectional study used national vital statistics data from the entire US population from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2017, among US residents aged 20 to 64 years. In our research, it was found that a higher frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed plays a major role in death by suicide. The more heavily and habitually one drinks, the more vulnerable they are to these risks. The more we talk about it, the more we can create space for support, healing, and recovery.

Opioid Use Disorder and Suicide

The effects of problematic alcohol use can have similar effects. You can find lasting healing and recovery with resources far more relieving than alcohol or drugs. As a depressant, alcohol can worsen these feelings of loneliness and depression.

People who suffer from alcoholism are up to 120 times more likely to take their own life than those who are not dependent on alcohol. What once might have been considered an aid, is now another (if not greater) strain on their life, harming relationships, jobs and responsibilities, and even the body. The researchers used data from the National Violent Death Reporting System to identify those who had used alcohol or showed signs of intoxication before they committed suicide between 2003 and 2011. Population estimates of comparable use of alcohol were based on the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

Especially vulnerable populations include women, military personnel and youth. Drinking alcohol at an early age, binge or heavy drinking, and drinking behaviors that meet criteria for mild, moderate, or severe alcohol use disorder can all lead to increased suicidal ideation. Persons with heavy alcohol use are five times more likely to die by suicide than social drinkers (11). Deaths were categorized as due to drug poisoning, suicide, or alcohol-induced causes based on underlying cause of death. Age-standardized incidence rates and annual percentage changes (APCs) in rates were estimated. Clusters of high-rate counties were identified with hot spot analysis.

Women could be at greater risk because heavy drinking generally has more negative physical and cognitive consequences for women than men. For youth, perhaps the higher risk is due to the elevated rates of heavy and problematic drinking in young adults or that suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds. When struggling with suicidal thoughts and tendencies, it’s common to want to escape the pain you’re feeling inside. This is why many individuals often turn to risky behaviours, including using drugs and alcohol.

There’s Support and Healing for Alcoholism and Suicide

Our study indicates these combine to produce a 282 per cent increased risk of death by suicide. Whether you’re seeking treatment for yourself or you’re concerned about a loved one, know that there are many ways to help prevent suicide and stop alcohol misuse. Many people in similar situations have benefited from a combination of mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Life expectancy has decreased in the US, driven largely by increases in drug poisoning, suicide, and alcohol-induced deaths. Assessing whether patterns of these causes differ is required to inform public health interventions.

One schema categorizes risk factors as either dynamic (acute) or static (long-term) (see box). Regarding patients who are suicidal and have a concurrent substance use disorder, clinicians should pay attention to dynamic risk factors that affect the individual’s life. These factors can change rapidly but are easy to target for treatment intervention. They include current misuse of alcohol and other drugs, concomitant depression, criminality, and difficulties in controlling aggression and impulsivity.

1. As a psychologist and scientist, my research aims to understand whether alcohol actually increases the risk of dying by suicide.
2. Submit your number to receive a call today from a treatment provider.
3. The post-mortem cardiac blood and vitreous humor alcohol level was found to be 9.0 and 6.2 mg/ml respectively.
4. Furthermore, nicotine use has been shown to contribute to deaths by suicide (18, 22).
5. The report noted that one possible explanation is that women are more likely than men to commit suicide by poisoning themselves, and alcohol may be used as one of the poisoning agents in combination with other substances.

The following resources offer confidential services, so you don’t have to provide any identifying information if you don’t want to. Treatment providers are available 24/7 to answer your questions about rehab, whether it’s for you or a loved one. Submit your number and receive a free call today from a treatment provider. Points represent average annual percentage changes; lines, 95% CIs. This cross-sectional study used publicly available data; therefore, institutional review board approval and informed consent were not needed, per National Cancer Institute policy.

Other Substances, Multiple Substance Use, and Suicide

The results of our research highlight just how needed these measures are in our society, but prevention requires change at both the individual and systemic level. Reaching out for assistance and seeking appropriate treatment for alcohol misuse is one of the best ways to obtain support, overcome the addiction to alcohol, and prevent suicide. Whether they suffer from anxiety or other mental illness, some kind of mood or personality disorder, or are trying to cope with a trauma, many people turn to alcohol in an attempt to forget their problems. The chronic use of this substance, however, can mean that someone builds a tolerance, dependence, and eventually an addiction. In addition, Kaplan said, the findings should prompt suicide prevention workers to probe for alcohol intoxication when dealing with people who are suicidal.

However, alcoholism and alcohol misuse can significantly increase one’s risk of death by suicide. This cross-sectional study found that demographic characteristics and geographic patterns varied by cause of death, suggesting that increasing death rates from these causes were not concentrated in 1 group or region. Specialized interventions tailored for the underlying drivers of each cause of death are urgently needed.

Stratified by county-level percentage of unemployment, drug poisoning and alcohol-induced death rates were highest in counties in the highest quintile of unemployment and lowest in the lowest quintile. However, suicide rates were highest in counties in the lowest quintile of unemployment and lowest in the second highest quintile of unemployment (Figure 2A). Beyond current theories regarding the link between suicide and alcohol use, effective prevention requires knowing who is most at risk. Our study found those who drink heavily and more frequently have increased risk of death by suicide, particularly over longer periods of time.

Furthermore, nicotine use has been shown to contribute to deaths by suicide (18, 22). Patients who are reluctant to adopt pharmacological recommendations should be referred for nonpharmacological treatment modalities as described above. In this study, we compared death rates and trends in rates from these 3 causes by geography, age, race, and ethnicity. We used US death certificate data for premature death (ie, ages years) from drug poisonings, suicide, and alcohol-induced causes and conducted hot spot and trend analyses for each cause.