Medicine self-poisoning and the sources of the drugs in Lund, Sweden
(1994) In Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 89(4). p.255-261- Abstract
- The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of toxic agents in attempted and completed suicides. The purpose was also to explore the sources of the drugs taken by suicide attempters. Verbal information on drug intake was collected from 280 suicide attempters during 1987-1990 in the Lund-Orup catchment area. Information on the sources of the drugs was collected from 143 of these attempters. The study also includes toxicological screening from 73 fatal poisonings in southern Sweden during 1989. According to verbal information, the most common drugs used by suicide attempters were benzodiazepines (51%), analgesics (29%) and antidepressants (20%). In suicide attempters, diazepam and levomepromazine were reported more than... (More)
- The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of toxic agents in attempted and completed suicides. The purpose was also to explore the sources of the drugs taken by suicide attempters. Verbal information on drug intake was collected from 280 suicide attempters during 1987-1990 in the Lund-Orup catchment area. Information on the sources of the drugs was collected from 143 of these attempters. The study also includes toxicological screening from 73 fatal poisonings in southern Sweden during 1989. According to verbal information, the most common drugs used by suicide attempters were benzodiazepines (51%), analgesics (29%) and antidepressants (20%). In suicide attempters, diazepam and levomepromazine were reported more than expected from prescription data. Toxicological screenings of fatal poisonings showed that benzodiazepines were most common (55%), followed by analgesics (38%), mainly propoxyphene (29%) and antidepressants (30%), mainly amitriptyline (22%). Amitriptyline and diazepam were more commonly detected in completed suicides than expected from prescription data. The most common sources of drugs to attempted suicides were physicians, and especially psychiatrists. We therefore conclude that continuous information to physicians on drug overdose is important, and it is also important to introduce alternative strategies to prevent suicidal behaviour. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/1296303
- author
- Alsén, Margot LU ; Ekedahl, Anders LU ; Löwenhielm, Peter LU ; Niméus, Anders LU ; Regnell, G and Träskman Bendz, Lil LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 1994
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica
- volume
- 89
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 255 - 261
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:0028218899
- ISSN
- 1600-0447
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01510.x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Health Economics and Forensic Medicine (Closed 2012) (013040050), Psychiatry (Lund) (013303000), Cardio-vascular Epidemiology (013241610)
- id
- fac83334-0f7b-48ef-8bba-1de11823fc99 (old id 1296303)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 15:27:59
- date last changed
- 2021-01-03 09:06:01
@article{fac83334-0f7b-48ef-8bba-1de11823fc99,
abstract = {{The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of toxic agents in attempted and completed suicides. The purpose was also to explore the sources of the drugs taken by suicide attempters. Verbal information on drug intake was collected from 280 suicide attempters during 1987-1990 in the Lund-Orup catchment area. Information on the sources of the drugs was collected from 143 of these attempters. The study also includes toxicological screening from 73 fatal poisonings in southern Sweden during 1989. According to verbal information, the most common drugs used by suicide attempters were benzodiazepines (51%), analgesics (29%) and antidepressants (20%). In suicide attempters, diazepam and levomepromazine were reported more than expected from prescription data. Toxicological screenings of fatal poisonings showed that benzodiazepines were most common (55%), followed by analgesics (38%), mainly propoxyphene (29%) and antidepressants (30%), mainly amitriptyline (22%). Amitriptyline and diazepam were more commonly detected in completed suicides than expected from prescription data. The most common sources of drugs to attempted suicides were physicians, and especially psychiatrists. We therefore conclude that continuous information to physicians on drug overdose is important, and it is also important to introduce alternative strategies to prevent suicidal behaviour.}},
author = {{Alsén, Margot and Ekedahl, Anders and Löwenhielm, Peter and Niméus, Anders and Regnell, G and Träskman Bendz, Lil}},
issn = {{1600-0447}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{255--261}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica}},
title = {{Medicine self-poisoning and the sources of the drugs in Lund, Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01510.x}},
doi = {{10.1111/j.1600-0447.1994.tb01510.x}},
volume = {{89}},
year = {{1994}},
}