title: Acute influence of alcohol, THC or central stimulants on violent suicide: A Swedish population study.
abstract: Alcohol and substance abuse in general is a risk factor for suicide, but very little is known about the acute effect in relation to suicide method. Based on information from 18,894 medico-legal death investigations, including toxicological findings and manner of death, did the present study investigate whether acute influence of alcohol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or central stimulants (amphetamine and cocaine) was related to the use of a violent suicide method, in comparison with the nonviolent method self-poisoning and alcohol-/illicit drug-negative suicide decedents. Multivariate analysis was conducted, and the results revealed that acute influence of THC was related to using the violent suicide method–– jumping from a height (RR 1.62; 95% CI 1.01–2.41). Alcohol intoxication was not related to any violent method, while the central stimulant-positive suicide decedent had a higher, albeit not significant, risk of several violent methods. The study contributes with elucidating suicide methods in relation to acute intoxication.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lundholm
authors.forename: Ingemar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thiblin
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Runeson
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leifman
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fugelstad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000401:mortality; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000097:blood*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000097:blood*; D004332:Drowning / Q000401:mortality; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D011041:Poisoning / Q000401:mortality; D012042:Registries; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000401:mortality; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000431:Ethanol; D013759:Dronabinol