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Suicide and Psychopathology in 1,537 Patients Dependent on Prescribed Psychoactive Medications: Stockholm, Sweden
Author(s) -
Allgulander Christer,
Brandt Lena,
Allebeck Peter
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.1994.tb00239.x
Subject(s) - psychiatry , medicine , psychopathology , psychoactive drug , anxiety , intervention (counseling) , substance abuse , personality disorders , psychoactive substance , suicide prevention , alcohol abuse , poison control , clinical psychology , personality , drug , psychology , emergency medicine , social psychology
The risk of suicide among patients hospitalized because of dependence on prescribed psychoactive medications was estimated among all 1,537 such patients in Stockholm, Sweden, over an 8‐year period. The suicide standardized mortality ratio was 41.0 among the women and 45.6 among the men who were dependent on such medications alone. It was of a similar magnitude (50.4 and 30.6) among women and men with concurrent alcohol/street‐drug abuse. Among all deaths, 38% were suicides. Primary and secondary psychiatric disorders were common. To reduce the suicide risk, professional treatment intervention should entail thorough diagnostic assessment, behavioral/cognitive therapy, and a judicious use of psychoactive medications for anxiety, affective, and personality disorders.