Characteristics of opiate dependent patients who attempt suicide.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of opiate dependent patients who attempt suicide.


METHODS
Opiate dependent patients (DSM-IV criteria) who had (N = 105) or had not (N = 141) attempted suicide were compared for family history of suicide, childhood trauma, personality traits, and experience of comorbidity with cocaine and/or alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder. and physical disorder.


RESULTS
Significantly more opiate dependent patients who had attempted suicide were female (p < .0001) and unemployed (p < .0006). Patients who had attempted suicide reported significantly more family history of suicide and more childhood trauma; scored significantly higher for introversion, hostility, and neuroticism; and had experienced significantly more comorbidity with lifetime cocaine and alcohol dependence, major depressive disorder, and current physical disorder (p < .05 for all).


CONCLUSIONS
Suicidal behavior in opiate dependent patients may involve risk factors from the family, childhood, personality, psychiatric, and physical domains.
Roy
Alec
A
Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Healthcare System, East Orange 07018, USA.
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D044469:Racial Groups; D012307:Risk Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires