Suicidal and self-injurious behavior among patients with alcohol and drug abuse.
BACKGROUND
Self-injurious behavior, a major public health problem globally, is linked with alcohol and drug abuse. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence and correlates of self-harming behavior in patients with alcohol or drug abuse problems.


METHODS
This was a one-year study that recruited a convenience sample of 736 outpatients and inpatients identified with alcohol or drug abuse, and was conducted at Al-Amal mental health hospitals in three major cities. All consecutively selected patients were interviewed on five working days for data collection on a semistructured sociodemographic form using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale Risk Assessment version.


RESULTS
In addition to the socioclinical profile revealed, 50.7% of respondents reported any suicidal ideation, while 6.9% reported self-injurious behavior without intent to die. Any suicidal and self-injurious behavior was reported by 13.1% of participants. A total of 71.3% of respondents reported any recent negative activating events. In addition to any treatment history, observed correlates were hopelessness (60.7%), perceived burden on family (29.5%), refusing a safety plan (26.1%), and sexual abuse (11%). Conversely, reasons for living (64.9%), fear of death or dying due to pain and suffering (64.3%), and spirituality (92%) were largely endorsed as protective factors. There were multiple significant odds ratios (P ≤ 0.01) revealed when independent socioclinical variables were compared with dependent variables in terms of suspected risk and protective factors. In an adjusted logistic regression model, none of the independent variables contributed significantly to any suicidal and self-injurious behavior, any suicidal ideation, or protection from them (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results suggest that there are some socioclinical correlates of any suicide ideation, suicidal and self-injurious behavior, and protection from risky behavior, but which of them contributes significantly to the risk and protective dimensions is yet to be elucidated in prospective community-based studies with larger and more diverse samples.
Private Clinic, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah Mohammed
AM
Al-Sharqi
Psychiatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt.
Khaled Saad
KS
Sherra
General Administration for Mental Health and Social Services, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulhameed Abdullah
AA
Al-Habeeb
General Administration for Mental Health and Social Services, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ; General Directorate of Research and Studies, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Naseem Akhtar
NA
Qureshi
abuse; alcohol; drug; protective factors; risk factors; self-injurious behavior; suicidal ideation