Research – Addicts at “Strikingly High” Suicide Risk

News from the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) 27th Annual Meeting  in December 2016.

Dr. Kevin Hallgren, from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle presented his recent research into suicide behavior risk among illicit drug users, as well as what factors put them at risk.

This study found that suicide rate among illicit drug users was 10 to 14 times higher than in the general population.

Dr. Hallgren and his fellow researchers followed 868 substance users over a 1 year period. All the study participants were 18 years or older and had used a drug of abuse in the prior 90 days.  Most were male, unmarried, unemployed, and receiving welfare benefits. Almost a third of the sample reported being homeless in the past 90 days.

During the year that they were followed, 25% of the study participants had thoughts about suicide, and 7% attempted suicide one or more times. In the general population, these figures are 3% and 1/2%. Unfortunately, this as yet unpublished study did not report on deaths among the study participants during the year of follow-up.

While the group studied also had a lot of other life problems that can increase suicide risk, such as homelessness, unemployment, psychiatric and medical problems, it is also true that these problems are frequently a result of drug addiction.

While some study participants used alcohol, alcohol use alone was not used as a criteria for entering the study.

The researchers found that the presence of depression or anxiety, suicidal thoughts in the past 30 days, any previous suicide attempt and a history of violent behavior were predictive of subsequent suicidal behavior.

We can pull out a take-home message for those of us who suffer from addiction-alcoholism, or those who have loved ones who suffer. Someone suffering from addiction is at high risk for suicide. Experience has taught us that this occurs when the addict reaches a state of hopelessness, where she can't live without her drug, but can't bear going on living that way.

Many of us were in that state of mind, after failing multiple attempts to break our addiction. There is a way out, there is hope. Millions of people have done so. Despite how bleak life feels and how overwhelmed we feel, life comes back to us when we focus on one thing: our recovery. Most of us can't do it alone, we must accept help. Most of us know where help is available or whom to ask.. it's just a matter of willingness to accept that help.



To learn more about the science and psychology of addiction and recovery, and to understand why alcoholics and addicts behave the way they do, see the author's book The Alcoholic / Addict Within.

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Source: Lowry, Fran. (Dec 13, 2016). Illicit drug users at "strikingly" high risk for suicide.  Medscape. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/873250#vp_2