Non-fatal overdose in the 12 months following treatment for substance use disorders.
BACKGROUND
Overdose (OD) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), and there are limited prospective data on OD during the months following treatment for SUDs.


METHODS
Variables associated with an OD in the 12 months after leaving an initial treatment episode were examined in an analysis of the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcomes Study (DATOS), a longitudinal naturalistic multisite study. Participants included 2966 patients with one or more SUDs. Non-fatal OD was ascertained by a positive response to "In the past 12 months, have you overdosed on drugs?" Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify variables associated with OD.


RESULTS
By 12 months, 93 (3.1%) participants reported one or more ODs. Variables associated with OD were lifetime history of OD, injection drug use (IDU), male sex, greater pain, and history of sexual abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
OD-risk appears to be increased by IDU, lifetime OD, sexual abuse history, and pain. The latter finding is novel for a prospective report and requires further study.
Britton
Peter C
PC
Center of Excellence, Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA. peter.britton@va.gov
Wines
James D
JD
Conner
Kenneth R
KR
D000328:Adult; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000506:poisoning*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
D013287:Illicit Drugs