title: Caffeine and suicide: a systematic review.
abstract: Suicide is considered a deliberate act initiated and concluded by a person with full knowledge or expectation of a fatal result, and one of the main symptoms of depression. An individual's conscious and excessive ingestion of a damaging substance is also considered to be an attempted suicide. Despite limited knowledge of caffeine abuse, deaths from overdose of caffeine have been reported in the literature. Thus, this study aims to review the existing literature on caffeine consumption and suicide attempts and deaths, investigating the relation between caffeine consumption and suicide attempts and deaths. We found 24 studies that discuss the relationship between caffeine and suicide. The findings revealed that, despite being an addictive substance and potentially fatal in higher doses, caffeine was still a rare factor in a number of studies concerning its relation with suicide attempts and death. The majority of the research found in this study was of the case study type. Furthermore, the majority of studies focus on the assistance offered to the victim and the procedures undertaken to control the bodily damage created. The existing studies indicate the substance may act as either a direct or an indirect agent in suicide. Therefore, a better understanding of how caffeine may be linked to suicide is crucial for its prevention.
authors.forename: Adriana Cardoso
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Natalia Pinho
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: de Oliveira Ribeiro
authors.forename: Alexandre Rafael
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de Mello Schier
authors.forename: Valeska Martinho
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Marina Machado
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vilarim
authors.forename: Tamires Marinho
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pessoa
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arias-Carrión
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Laboratory of Panic and Respiration. Rua Visconde de Piraja, 407/702. Rio de Janeiro, RJ. CEP 22410-003, Brazil. adrianacardosorj@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Antonio Egidio
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Nardi
mesh_terms: D002110:Caffeine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000506:poisoning*; D016206:Databases, Bibliographic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D002110:Caffeine