Biomaterial Database

Suicidal behavior and history of substance abuse. 1992

D M Adams, and J C Overholser

Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-3922.

Substance abuse is frequently associated with suicidal behavior. However, it is unclear to what degree substance abuse in a family member is related to suicide. In the present study, personal and family histories of substance abuse were examined in 716 psychiatric emergency room patients. Suicide attempters, suicide ideators, and nonsuicidal controls were compared across demographic, clinical, and substance abuse variables. Results showed that suicidal patients differed from nonsuicidal controls on many of the dependent variables. Suicidal patients were more likely to be depressed and report a history of previous suicidal tendencies. Also, alcohol and drug abuse occurred more frequently in suicidal patients. Furthermore, a family history of alcohol abuse was reported more often by suicidal than nonsuicidal patients. These patterns of substance abuse in suicidal patients were especially prominent among older subjects. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for identifying psychiatric emergency room patients at risk for suicide.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D003866	Depressive Disorder	An affective disorder manifested by either a dysphoric mood or loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities. The mood disturbance is prominent and relatively persistent.	Depression, Endogenous,Depression, Neurotic,Depression, Unipolar,Depressive Syndrome,Melancholia,Neurosis, Depressive,Unipolar Depression,Depressions, Endogenous,Depressions, Neurotic,Depressions, Unipolar,Depressive Disorders,Depressive Neuroses,Depressive Neurosis,Depressive Syndromes,Disorder, Depressive,Disorders, Depressive,Endogenous Depression,Endogenous Depressions,Melancholias,Neuroses, Depressive,Neurotic Depression,Neurotic Depressions,Syndrome, Depressive,Syndromes, Depressive,Unipolar Depressions
D005190	Family	A social group consisting of parents or parent substitutes and children.	Family Life Cycles,Family Members,Family Life Cycle,Family Research,Filiation,Kinship Networks,Relatives,Families,Family Member,Kinship Network,Life Cycle, Family,Life Cycles, Family,Network, Kinship,Networks, Kinship,Research, Family
D005220	Fathers	Male parents, human or animal.	Father
D005260	Female		Females
D005500	Follow-Up Studies	Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.	Followup Studies,Follow Up Studies,Follow-Up Study,Followup Study,Studies, Follow-Up,Studies, Followup,Study, Follow-Up,Study, Followup
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man