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The Link Between AOD and Suicide

The Link Between AOD and Suicide. An Epidemic?.

connor-waters
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The Link Between AOD and Suicide

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  1. The Link Between AOD and Suicide

  2. An Epidemic? • Those of us who teach or have attended a QPR session have heard a little bit about the correlation between drugs/alcohol and suicide. It only makes sense – inhibitions are dropped, the “wall of resistance” crumbles and suicidal actions can take place. • It has also been documented that with substance abuse can come increased risk taking and impulsive actions.

  3. An Epidemic? • Marathon County in 2011, of the 14 suicides, 4 or 28% involved alcohol and drugs (1 with drug use) • In 2013, the number of suicides rose to 18, and 44% involved alcohol and drugs. • While the number of those who had alcohol in their system remained constant at three cases, those who had drugs present jumped to 5.

  4. Drug Use and Suicide • According to SAMHSA, adults using illicit drugs are more likely to consider suicide than the general adult population. • Nationally the percentage of the general public over age 18 who had serious thoughts of suicide was approximately 3.9 percent. • That number significantly increased, varied by the type of drugs used. • 9.6 percent of those using marijuana in the past year had serious thoughts of suicide. • nearly 15 percent for cocaine • 21 percent who have used sedative-type drugs, including heroin

  5. Illicit Drug Use • Heroin use has hit epidemic proportions in the state. • Heroin cases submitted to the state crime lab: • 2012 – 647 • 2013 – 1060 • Of the 57 counties reporting, nearly all have seen increased deaths by overdose

  6. Comparison • In 2012: • 280 ED visits for heroin overdose122 hospitalizations • 42 ED visits for alcohol overdose66 hospitalizations • 17 ED visits for meth overdose51 hospitalizations *Reported only – DHS WISH

  7. SAMHSA • “Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention: Evidence and Implications: A White Paper” summarizes what’s known about the interrelationship.

  8. White Paper Discussion • Agrowing body of evidence suggests that alcohol and drug abuse are second only to depression and other mood disorders when it comes to risk factors for suicide. • In one study, for example, alcohol and drug abuse disorders were associated with a six-fold increase in the risk of suicide attempts.

  9. White Paper Discussion • “While 95 percent of individuals with a mental illness and/or substance use disorder will never complete suicide, several decades of evidence consistently suggests that as many as 90 percent of individuals who do complete suicide experience a mental or substance use disorder, or both.”

  10. White Paper Discussion • “According to SAMHSA’s 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), of the 23.6 million people aged 12 or older in need of treatment for an illicit drug use or alcohol use problem only 2.5 million received treatment at a specialty facility”

  11. White Paper Discussion • “Independent of each other, mental illnesses, substance abuse and suicide each have a profound impact on individuals and families, schools and workplaces, communities and society at large. The human and economic costs of these public health problems are significant. When each of these three problems is examined separately, it becomes clear that, in many instances and for many individuals, each one is related in some way to the other two. Thus, the co-occurrence of mental and substance abuse disorders today is the expectation rather than the exception.”

  12. White Paper Discussion • Taking a public health approach. Accordingly, prevention becomes as important as treatment. • Greater integration of behavioral health into the larger fabric of general health care services can go a long way to reducing the tragedy of suicide. • Delaying or preventing alcohol and drug abuse among young people can forestall more serious illnesses and the increased risk for suicide in later life.

  13. OK, So What Do We Do? • The paper ends with descriptions of 10 proven suicide prevention programs drawn from SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). It also includes a chronology of Federal suicide prevention policy, plus a list of resources available from SAMHSA, other Federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.

  14. OK, So What Do We Do? • There’s a need for a comprehensive approach if we want to reduce suicide attempts and death by suicide,” emphasized Dr. Richard McKeon. “It’s not sufficient to rely simply on mental health treatment, since we know that the majority of those who die by suicide have never had any mental health treatment. To reduce suicide, everyone needs to be involved.”

  15. OK, So What Do We Do? • Group Discussion • Requests for information • Sources • White paper: http://www.samhsa.gov/matrix2/508SuicidePreventionPaperFinal.pdf • SAMHSA materials

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