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Published on: December 6, 2016
Increasing Risks of Suicide Attempt and Suicidal Drug Overdose After Head Trauma in Patients With Sleep-Disordered
Dorji Harnod1,2, Cheng-Li Lin3,4, Tomor Harnod5,6
1Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
Abstract:
Objective: To determine the risks of suicide attempt (SA) and suicidal drug overdose (SDO) after head trauma in patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) by using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. Methods: We analyzed the data of patients aged ≥20 years who were diagnosed with SDB between 2000 and 2012. We further divided them into two cohorts [with admission for head injury (SBI) and without (SBN)], and we compared them against sex-, age-, comorbidity-, and index-date-matched healthy individuals. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals of SA and SDO were calculated with adjustment of age, sex, and comorbidities. Results: Approximately 0.61% of patients among the overall 142,063 patients with SDB had SA, with 535 and 335 patients included in the SBN and SBI cohorts, respectively. Compared with patients with SBN, a significantly higher risk of SA was observed in patients with SBI (aHR = 2.22), especially in those aged under 50 years (aHR = 2.48). Notably, a SDO incidence of 1.20% was noted in patients with SDB, and the SBI cohort had a 1.81-fold higher risk for SDO when compared with the SBN cohort. Conclusion: The risks of subsequent SA and SDO are proportionally increased by the effects of head trauma with a moderating role of SDB, especially in those aged <50 years. SDB and head trauma can increase suicide behaviors individually and synergistically.
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