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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

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Published on: June 23, 2023

Alcohol abuse and suicidal behaviour.

Lea Zmuc Veranic¹, Peter Pregelj

¹University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Studenec 48, 1260 Ljubljana, Slovenia. lea.zmuc@psih-klinika.si

Psychiatria Danubina

|July 1, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Patients misusing psychoactive substances (PAS) show significantly higher rates of suicidal behavior and receive more pharmacotherapy compared to non-misusers. PAS misuse is confirmed as a critical risk factor for suicidal behavior in psychiatric emergency settings.

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Area of Science:

Psychiatry
Addiction Medicine
Public Health

Background:

The Psychiatric Emergency Clinic (PEC) at University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana was established in 2004.
A total of 2760 patients were examined in the PEC by the end of May 2004.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between psychoactive substance (PAS) misuse and suicidal behavior.
To compare psychopharmacotherapy prescription patterns between patients with and without PAS misuse.

Main Methods:

Data was collected from medical records, including patient age, suicidal behavior, pharmacotherapy, and PAS misuse.
Statistical analysis, including Pearson Chi-Square Test and Fisher's Exact Test, was used to compare groups.

Main Results:

Patients with PAS misuse exhibited significantly higher rates of suicidal behavior (35.4% vs. 28.0%) and suicide attempts (9.5% vs. 3.5%) compared to those without PAS misuse.
No significant difference was found in suicidal threats and thoughts between the groups.
Patients with PAS misuse were prescribed pharmacotherapy more frequently (19.4% vs. 11.4%).

Conclusions:

Psychoactive substance misuse is a significant risk factor for suicidal behavior.
PAS misuse is associated with increased rates of suicide attempts and higher pharmacotherapy prescription.
Findings underscore the importance of addressing PAS misuse in psychiatric emergency care to mitigate suicide risk.