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Comparative risk of suicide by specific substance use disorders : A national cohort study

Crump, Casey LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU ; Kendler, Kenneth S. ; Edwards, Alexis C. LU and Sundquist, Kristina LU (2021) In Journal of Psychiatric Research 144. p.247-254
Abstract

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are important risk factors for suicide, yet little is known about how suicide risks vary by specific SUDs. We examined these risks for the first time in a large general population to facilitate comparisons across SUDs. A national cohort study was conducted of all 6,947,191 adults in Sweden. SUDs (opioid, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogen, cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol use disorders) were identified using inpatient, outpatient, and crime data, and suicide deaths using nationwide death data with follow-up during 2003–2016. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for suicide death while adjusting for sociodemographic factors and psychiatric, SUD, and somatic comorbidities.... (More)

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are important risk factors for suicide, yet little is known about how suicide risks vary by specific SUDs. We examined these risks for the first time in a large general population to facilitate comparisons across SUDs. A national cohort study was conducted of all 6,947,191 adults in Sweden. SUDs (opioid, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogen, cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol use disorders) were identified using inpatient, outpatient, and crime data, and suicide deaths using nationwide death data with follow-up during 2003–2016. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for suicide death while adjusting for sociodemographic factors and psychiatric, SUD, and somatic comorbidities. Co-sibling analyses assessed for confounding by unmeasured shared familial (genetic and/or environmental) factors. In 79.8 million person-years of follow-up, 15,616 (0.2%) suicide deaths were identified. All SUDs were associated with significantly increased risks, with HRs ranging from 12- to 26-fold and 2.5- to 6.4-fold before and after adjusting for covariates, respectively. After adjusting for all covariates, opioid use disorder was the strongest risk factor (HR, 6.39; 95% CI, 5.53–7.38) (P ≤ 0.002 compared with any other SUD), followed by sedative/hypnotic use disorder (4.62; 4.06–5.27) (P ≤ 0.009 compared with any other SUD except opioid or hallucinogen). Most associations persisted after controlling for shared familial factors, consistent with causal effects. In this large national cohort, all SUDs were associated with significantly increased risks of suicide death, especially opioid and sedative/hypnotic use disorders. These findings may improve risk stratification and inform interventions to prevent suicide in the highest-risk subgroups with SUDs.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Alcohol-related disorders, Illicit drugs, Substance-related disorders, Suicide
in
Journal of Psychiatric Research
volume
144
pages
8 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85117722545
  • pmid:34700213
ISSN
0022-3956
DOI
10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.017
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd
id
f4349b29-017b-4eef-8edb-d1dfab69ebe8
date added to LUP
2021-11-19 12:08:16
date last changed
2024-06-16 23:23:36
@article{f4349b29-017b-4eef-8edb-d1dfab69ebe8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Substance use disorders (SUDs) are important risk factors for suicide, yet little is known about how suicide risks vary by specific SUDs. We examined these risks for the first time in a large general population to facilitate comparisons across SUDs. A national cohort study was conducted of all 6,947,191 adults in Sweden. SUDs (opioid, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogen, cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol use disorders) were identified using inpatient, outpatient, and crime data, and suicide deaths using nationwide death data with follow-up during 2003–2016. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for suicide death while adjusting for sociodemographic factors and psychiatric, SUD, and somatic comorbidities. Co-sibling analyses assessed for confounding by unmeasured shared familial (genetic and/or environmental) factors. In 79.8 million person-years of follow-up, 15,616 (0.2%) suicide deaths were identified. All SUDs were associated with significantly increased risks, with HRs ranging from 12- to 26-fold and 2.5- to 6.4-fold before and after adjusting for covariates, respectively. After adjusting for all covariates, opioid use disorder was the strongest risk factor (HR, 6.39; 95% CI, 5.53–7.38) (P ≤ 0.002 compared with any other SUD), followed by sedative/hypnotic use disorder (4.62; 4.06–5.27) (P ≤ 0.009 compared with any other SUD except opioid or hallucinogen). Most associations persisted after controlling for shared familial factors, consistent with causal effects. In this large national cohort, all SUDs were associated with significantly increased risks of suicide death, especially opioid and sedative/hypnotic use disorders. These findings may improve risk stratification and inform interventions to prevent suicide in the highest-risk subgroups with SUDs.</p>}},
  author       = {{Crump, Casey and Sundquist, Jan and Kendler, Kenneth S. and Edwards, Alexis C. and Sundquist, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0022-3956}},
  keywords     = {{Alcohol-related disorders; Illicit drugs; Substance-related disorders; Suicide}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{247--254}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Psychiatric Research}},
  title        = {{Comparative risk of suicide by specific substance use disorders : A national cohort study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.017}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.017}},
  volume       = {{144}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}