Factors associated with the history of attempted suicide.
BACKGROUND
The present study examines a population of criminal justice clients for suspected substance-related problems.


OBJECTIVE
It aims to identify variables associated with a history of suicide attempt (SA).


METHODS
6,836 clients were interviewed with the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). Attempters were compared to nonattempters regarding substance use, medical/psychiatric status, family history, and social relationships in a stepwise forward logistic regression.


RESULTS
Attempters (21%) were more likely to report binge drinking, intake of illicit drugs, injection of drugs, physical and mental illness, problematic family history, and history of being abused. After logistic regression, SA was independently associated with older age, female gender, binge drinking, delirium tremens, injection, overdose, medical problems, psychiatric symptoms, family history of alcohol or psychiatric problems, and sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The psychiatric and family/social domains (including being abused) most strongly separated attempters from nonattempters.


CONCLUSIONS
Family background factors, psychiatric symptoms, severity of substance use, and sexual, physical, and emotional abuse appear to be factors associated with SA among criminal justice clients.
Hakansson
A
A
Clinical Alcohol Research, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. anders_c.hakansson@med.lu.se
Bradvik
L
L
Schlyter
F
F
Berglund
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden
D013287:Illicit Drugs