ETOH abuse and suicide

Q; Alcoholic patients who commit suicide are usually lost in the healthcare system due to noncompliance and not seeking care.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Contrary to popular belief and conventional wisdom, patients with alcohol abuse usually seek healthcare before their suicide. 40% of these patients have health care encounters within the prior two weeks. Three out of four individuals have had a healthcare encounter over the last 90 days.

This clinically important fact is very crucial to identify such patients who are actively prone to kill themselves. The lifetime rate of suicide attempts among frequent аlсоhοl users in the United States is 7 percent, well above the general adult population rate of 1 percent.

#ETOH-abuse

#preventive-care

#suicide-prevention

References:

1. Crump C, Edwards AC, Kendler KS, et al. Healthcare utilisation prior to suicide in persons with alcohol use disorder: national cohort and nested case-control study. Br J Psychiatry 2020; 217:710.

2. Darvishi N, Farhadi M, Haghtalab T, Poorolajal J. Alcohol-related risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and completed suicide: a meta-analysis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126870.

3. Yaldizli O, Kuhl HC, Graf M, et al. Risk factors for suicide attempts in patients with alcohol dependence or abuse and a history of depressive symptoms: a subgroup analysis from the WHO/ISBRA study. Drug Alcohol Rev 2010; 29:64.