[Associations of substance use with violent and suicidal behaviors].
Violent and suicidal behaviors are most serious mental health problems. In Japan, there are national mental health service systems for preventing violent and suicidal behaviors now: One is the Medical Control Law, which seems to aim at only treating schizophrenia as a mental health problem, and another is the Basic Act on Suicide Countermeasure, which seems to aim at treating depression. However, it is strange that these mental health policies have never referred to substance use problems including substance use disorder. In this paper, we reviewed previous studies on associations of substance use with violent and suicidal behaviors, and indicated that the importance of substance use problems for mental health promotion to prevent violent and suicidal behaviors may be overlooked, and denied by the Japanese mental health professionals.
Matsumoto
Toshihiko
T
Center for Suicide Prevention/Department of Drug Dependence Research, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahiashi-cyo, Kodaira, 187-8553 Tokyo.
D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention