[Analysis of motivation in attempted suicides of sniffing addicts]

The authors examined a group of 30 addicts, each of whom had attempted a suicide, once at least, irrespective of the mode of performance. They analysed the motivation and the causes leading the adolescent addicts to suicidal attempts. The suicidal attempts were shown to occur under acute intoxication in 83.3 per cent of cases. Most frequently, the mode of the suicidal attempt was drastic, as e.g. cutting the antebrachial and the wrist veins in 56.6 per cent of cases. In 43.3 per cent of cases there occurred mild encephalopathies. A history of delinquent behaviour was recorded in 63.3 per cent of cases. Eighty per cent of the addicts originated from defective families or had other adverse social conditions. In 80 per cent addiction of psychotropic substances of more than one year duration was noted. Addiction of more than one drug was recorded in 90 per cent of cases. Most probably, volatile psychotropic substances act as "accelerators" in this connection, deteriorating the personality alterations of encephalopathic and psychopathic origin already present, thus conditioning the motivation of suicidal attempts. This finding may be of significance in aiding the forensic psychology and the medicolegal expertise of realized suicides.