Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts in Methamphetamine-Dependent Patients

• Published in: The American journal on addictions Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 24 - 27
• Main Authors: Glasner-Edwards, Suzette, Mooney, Larissa J., Marinelli-Casey, Patricia, Hillhouse, Maureen, Ang, Alfonso, Rawson, Richard, the Methamphetamine Treatment Project Corporate Authors
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2008; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Central Nervous System Stimulants; Child; Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data; Demography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Status; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - rehabilitation; Methamphetamine; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Risk Factors; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data
• ISSN: 1055-0496; 1521-0391
• DOI: 10.1080/10550490701756070

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for suicide attempts (SA) in methamphetamine (MA)-dependent patients. MA-dependent adults (N = 526) who participated in the Methamphetamine Treatment Project were interviewed before and three years after treatment. Baseline psychiatric, medical, demographic, and substance use characteristics were assessed using the Addiction Severity Index and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Lifetime history of SA was assessed at follow-up. Risk factors for SA included gender, intravenous MA use, BDI > 20 at baseline, and clinically significant psychiatric history. Psychiatric characteristics of MA users are strongly associated with SA, warranting careful assessment of psychiatric history.