Characteristics of cocaine-dependent patients who attempt suicide.
OBJECTIVE
Although suicidal behavior is frequent among cocaine-dependent patients, it has been little studied. Therefore, the author examined the characteristics of cocaine-dependent patients who had attempted suicide.


METHODS
Cocaine-dependent patients who had attempted suicide (N=84) were compared with cocaine-dependent patients who had never attempted suicide (N=130) on clinical, personality, psychiatric, and physical variables.


RESULTS
Significantly more of the patients who had attempted suicide were female and had a family history of suicidal behavior; they reported significantly more childhood trauma and were significantly more introverted, neurotic, and hostile. They had also had significantly more comorbidity with alcohol and/or opiate dependence, major depression, and physical disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
The clinical implications are that family, childhood, personality, psychiatric, and physical risk factors contribute to suicidal behavior in cocaine-dependent patients. Comorbidity appears to be an important determinant of suicidal behavior.
Roy
A
A
Psychiatry Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Healthcare System, 385 Tremont Ave., East Orange, NJ 07018, USA.
D000328:Adult; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data