[Life events and contact behaviour in drug-related death].
The purpose of the study was to analyse influencing factors on drug-related death. Contact behaviour and life events in the forefield of drug-related death were of special interest. During a period of 5 years 189 drug-related deaths were investigated in the German town Essen (inhabitants about 600,000). 53.4 % of 189 people with drug-related death had contact to specialised institutes for drug addicts during lifetime. However, only about 15 % of this group contacted these institutes over the period of the last three months. Additionally, 26 of the 189 persons had a psychiatric comorbid diagnosis, and this subgroup also demonstrated a restricted contact behaviour. Life events during lifetime and especially during the last 3 months seemed to be of influence upon the circumstances of drug-related death. According to this study, there seems to exist a turning away from professional institutions towards the end of the drug career which makes the documentation of influencing factors on drug-related death more difficult. Turning away from the help system is not the reason for drug-related death, but an important attendant circumstance.
Davids
E
E
Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie der Universität Essen, Rheinische Kliniken Essen. eugen.davids@uni-essen.de
Rösinger
C
C
Reinhold
U
U
Gastpar
M
M
D015897:Comorbidity; D003415:Crime; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy