Substance use issues preceding suicide: A Swedish nationwide record review

Substance use disorder (SUD) is associated with elevated suicide risk. The aim was to compare health care contacts as well as clinical and suicide-specific characteristics in individuals with and without substance use issues who died by suicide.

Data were derived from a nationwide medical record review of confirmed suicides in Sweden. In the current study we included individuals with at least one physician contact in the last year of life (N = 956). Substance use issues were defined as either a SUD diagnosis, physician notations of ongoing substance use, or a prescription for SUD medication.

Substance use issues were found in 21 % of the total cohort. Individuals with substance use issues were more likely to have notations of social stressors. Depressive disorders were recorded in 23 % of the total cohort with no differences between those with and without substance use issues. Anxiety disorders were more common in individuals with substance use issues, as were notations of depressive symptoms and anxiety. In the final month of life, 66 % in the substance use group saw a psychiatrist, but fewer consulted GPs (29 %). Suicide risk was noted in 25 % of individuals with substance use issues, and in 15 % of those without.

Many individuals with substance use issues were not identified as suicidal despite frequent healthcare contact, underscoring gaps in risk recognition. Improving risk management requires better training for professionals and enhanced collaboration between healthcare providers to address these complex needs.