title: Suicide verdicts as opposed to accidental deaths in substance-related fatalities (UK, 2001-2007).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Substance-related deaths account for a great number of suicides.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate levels and characteristics of suicide verdicts, as opposed to accidental deaths, in substance misusers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychological autopsy study of cases from the UK National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (np-SAD) during the period 2001-2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 2001 and December 2007, 2108 suicides were reported to the np-SAD. Typical suicide victims were White and older than 50 (respectively 95% and 41% of cases). Medications, especially antidepressants (44%), were prescribed to 87% of victims. Significantly fewer suicide victims than controls presented positive blood toxicological results for illicit drugs (namely: cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, ecstasy-type drugs, cannabis, and GHB/GBL) and alcohol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suicide prevention programmes should devote specific attention to deaths among substance misusers who are at high risk of fatal intentional self-harm. Specific characteristics distinguish those at risk; caregivers should be better educated as to what these factors are. Limitations of the current study included lack of provision of comprehensive information relating to the victims' psychosocial variables. Furthermore, no differentiation between different classes of antidepressants in terms of involvement in suicide was here provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Centre, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. ventoalessandro@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alessandro E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Vento
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schifano
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Corkery
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innamorati
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: Hamid
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ghodse
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents / Q000401:mortality*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D003933:Diagnosis; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000401:mortality; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs