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Substance Abuse and Suicide of San Diego Study

Author:
Charles L. Rich  Richard C. Fowler  Deborah Young    


Journal:
Annals of Clinical Psychiatry


Issue Date:
2011


Abstract(summary):

We investigated 283 suicides in San Diego between November 1981 and June 1983. The first 204 cases were collected consecutively. The next 79 were consecutive cases under age 30. The sample consisted, then, of three separate but overlapping consecutive series: 133 cases under age 30, 150 cases age 30 and over, and 204 cases of all ages. Overall, substance abuse/dependence was diagnosed in about two thirds of the cases, both over and under age 30. Depressive disorders were most commonly diagnosed in association with substance abuse (SA) in both age groups. Many other disorders also accompanied SA. There were significantly more diagnoses of “drug” abuse among the younger cases than among the older suicides. The frequency of alcohol abuse was the same. There were no significant differences in the rates of SA between the men and women in the 204 consecutive cases. Of the 45 suicides with psychotic disorders in the consecutive series, more than half (62%) were also substance abusers. Of the 15 cases who had personality disorders, 14 also were substance abusers. Also, 12 of 13 gay males were known to be substance abusers. In all cases, the drugs most frequently abused were alcohol, sedatives, marijuana, and stimulants. Depressive symptoms were common in the cases with SA even if an affective disorder was not formally diagnosed. We conclude that SA is possibly far more important as a primary etiology of suicides than was previously believed.


Page:
79-85


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