Clinical Perspective on Opioids in the Context of Suicide Risk

Psychiatrists are on the front lines of two simultaneous public health crises: the increasing rates of suicide and opioid-related deaths. In this review, the authors discuss ways in which these two classes of preventable deaths may be linked, with an emphasis on identifying and preventing both outcomes through increased understanding of their shared risk factors. As clinicians, it is crucial to maintain awareness of the ways in which opioid use may contribute to depression and suicidality, as well as how mood disorders may complicate opioid use. In light of this interplay, interventions which target risk factors for both suicide and overdose are key. Interventions include early treatment of substance dependence and depression, as well as harm reduction measures, such as provision of naloxone, medication-assisted treatments for dependency, and multidisciplinary approaches to chronic pain that do not rely solely on escalating opioid doses. It is also important to address social determinants of health, which may increase risk for both accidental and intentional overdose. The roads to overdose and suicide overlap considerably and cannot be considered separately.