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Drug-related suicide: a DAWN profile
The International Journal of the Addictions
|July 1, 1979
Summary
Drug-related suicides are common in emergency rooms and medical examiner cases. Tranquilizers were most common in ER suicides, while barbiturates were most common in medical examiner cases, with suicides tending to be older, more female, and less Black than non-suicides.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Public Health
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Drug-related incidents represent a significant portion of cases managed by hospital emergency departments and medical examiners.
- Understanding the specific drug classes involved in suicide and the demographic profiles of individuals is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the types of drugs involved in suicide cases presenting to emergency rooms and medical examiners.
- To compare demographic characteristics of individuals who died by suicide involving drugs versus those who did not.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of hospital emergency room data.
- Review of medical examiner case files for drug-involved deaths.
Main Results:
- Tranquilizer involvement was most common in emergency room suicide cases.
- Barbiturate involvement was most frequent in medical examiner suicide cases.
- Individuals who died by suicide involving drugs were generally older, more frequently female, and less frequently Black compared to non-suicide cases.
Conclusions:
- Different drug classes are associated with suicide depending on the setting (emergency room vs. medical examiner).
- Demographic factors such as age, sex, and race are important considerations in drug-related suicide prevention strategies.