Suicide and other-cause mortality among heroin users in Taiwan: a prospective study

Quality of life and associated factors of heroin-dependent patients receiving methadone and buprenorphine maintenance treatment

AIM

Although studies in Western countries have investigated the quality of life (QoL) of heroin users, limited research on this topic has been conducted in Asia. The present study assessed QoL in patients with heroin dependence receiving medications to treat opioid use disorder.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study of patients with heroin dependence receiving methadone and buprenorphine treatment. The demographic and substance use variables of patients receiving methadone and buprenorphine were compared. The Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12), Obsessive Compulsive Drug Use Scale (OCDUS), and World Health Organization Quality of Life Short Form Taiwan version (WHOQOL-BREF-T) were administered to measure patient mental health problems, addiction severity, and QoL, respectively. Multivariate regression was used to identify the factors associated with QoL.

RESULTS

A total of 149 patients receiving methadone and 31 receiving buprenorphine completed the questionnaires. Individuals in the buprenorphine group were more likely to be married (p = 0.024) or employed (p = 0.024), have a higher educational level (p = 0.013), have lower drug craving (OCDUS: p = 0.035), or have higher QoL (WHOQOL-BREF-T: p = 0.004) than those in the methadone group. After adjustment for other variables, employment was positively associated with the physical, psychological, and environmental domains of QoL. Receiving buprenorphine treatment (p = 0.032) and longer treatment duration (p = 0.016) were associated with higher psychological QoL.

CONCLUSION

Several factors were associated with QoL in patients with heroin dependence. Some measures may improve their QoL, such as reducing employment barriers, improving treatment adherence, or increasing accessibility to buprenorphine treatment.

Factors associated with suicide in people who use drugs: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Suicide is a significant contributor to global mortality. People who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased risk of death by suicide relative to the general population, but there is a lack of information on associated candidate factors for suicide in this group. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of existing evidence on potential factors for death by suicide in PWUD.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted according to the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Articles were identified using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SOCIndex, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Campbell Collaboration Database of Systematic Reviews; supplemented by grey literature, technical reports, and consultation with experts. No limitations were placed on study design. Publications in English from January 2000 to December 2021 were included. Two reviewers independently screened full-text publications for inclusion. Extracted data were collated using tables and accompanying narrative descriptive summaries. The review was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.

RESULTS

The initial search identified 12,389 individual publications, of which 53 met the inclusion criteria. The majority (87%) of included publications were primary research, with an uncontrolled, retrospective study design. The most common data sources were drug treatment databases or national death indexes. Eleven potential factors associated with death by suicide among PWUD were identified: sex; mental health conditions; periods of heightened vulnerability; age profile; use of stimulants, cannabis, or new psychoactive substances; specific medical conditions; lack of dual diagnosis service provision; homelessness; incarceration; intravenous drug use; and race or ethnicity. Opioids, followed by cannabis and stimulant drugs were the most prevalent drugs of use in PWUD who died by suicide. A large proportion of evidence was related to opioid use; therefore, more primary research on suicide and explicit risk factors is required.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of studies exploring factors associated with death by suicide among PWUD involved descriptive epidemiological data, with limited in-depth analyses of explicit risk factors. To prevent suicide in PWUD, it is important to consider potential risk factors and type of drug use, and to tailor policies and practices accordingly.

Recidivism of Individuals Who Completed Schedule I Drugs Deferred Prosecution Treatment: A Population-Based Follow-Up Study from 2008 to 2020 in Taiwan

Deferred Prosecution with Condition to Complete the Addiction Treatment (DPCCAT) is a judicial diversion program in Taiwan that shifts people who use drugs away from the label drug offender and toward the label patient. However, little is known about the effectiveness of completing a DPCCAT program on people who use drugs. Using a nationwide population-based retrospective panel data from 2008 to 2020, recidivism is defined as a person was caught urine positive and charged by a prosecutor after their completion of DPCCAT. After controlled gender, age, and region, comparisons of recidivism rates and time to relapse between Schedule I drug use only, Schedule I & II drug use, and heterogeneous group were examined. Of 24,248 participants with DPCCAT, 11,141 (46%) completed the one-year treatment program. Of completers, the five-year recidivism rates are significantly lower for the Schedule I drug use only (26%) than Schedule I & II drugs use (52%) and heterogeneous group (47%). Results from Cox regression indicated that the duration of recidivate to drug use is significantly longer for the Schedule I drug only than the other two groups after controlling for demographics. The main findings support that completion of a DPCCAT program only reduces the risk of recidivism for people who use Schedule I drug only and is less effective for polydrug users and heterogeneous group. We suggest that characteristics of people who use drugs and other criminal offenses should be taken into consideration for triage when DPCCAT is offered.

Relation of substance use disorders to mortality, accident and emergency department attendances, and hospital admissions: A 13-year population-based cohort study in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

The impact of substance use disorders (SUD) in an Asian population has not been fully explored. We aimed to assess the risk of mortality, accident and emergency (A&E) department attendances, and hospital admissions associated with SUD in a population-based cohort study.

METHOD

Patients diagnosed with SUD in public A&E departments from 2004 to 2016 (N = 8,423) were identified in the Clinical Database Analysis and Reporting System of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and 1:1 matched to patients without SUD by propensity score (N = 6,074 in each group). Relative risks of mortality, A&E attendances and hospital admissions were assessed using Cox regression and Hurdle negative binomial regression.

RESULTS

Patients with SUD had higher mortality (hazard ratio=1.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.26-1.62) and more often died from poisoning or toxicity and injuries. The odds ratio (OR) for A&E attendances and all-cause hospital admissions associated with SUD were 2.80 (95% CI=2.58-3.04) and 3.54 (95% CI=3.26-3.83), respectively. The impact of SUD on the above outcomes was greatest among school-aged individuals (≤ 21 years) and decreased with age. The relative risk of mental disorder-related hospital admissions was much higher than that for infections, respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. In patients with SUD, ketamine and amphetamine use were associated with increased A&E attendances than opioid use.

CONCLUSIONS

SUD was associated with increased mortality, A&E attendances and hospital admissions, especially in school-aged individuals. Our findings suggest prioritising early treatment and preventive interventions for school-aged individuals and focusing on the management of comorbid mental disorders and the use of ketamine and amphetamine.

Suicide attempts and death among heroin-involved women seeking methadone treatment in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

The present study aims to profile the hazard fluctuation of suicide attempts and deaths among heroin-involved women seeking methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and to investigate sociodemographic and clinical factors predicting the time to have suicidal behaviors.

METHODS

We identified a retrospective cohort comprising 2780 women receiving methadone treatment in the period of 2012-2016. Healthcare records were obtained from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, and suicide deaths were ascertained from the national death register. Competing risk survival analyses were used to estimate the risk of suicide attempts and deaths within one year and three years of MMT enrollment.

RESULTS

A total of 1.2 % of MMT-treated women ever visited hospital for suicide attempt, and 0.5 % died by confirmed suicide. The risk of treated suicide attempt reached its peak at the end of the 8th month after methadone initiation, whereas the risk of confirmed suicide death was relatively stable during the first one and a half years. A history of treated depressive disorders appears to be the strongest risk predictor for treated suicide attempts (Adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR] = 3.45; 95 % CI = 1.66-7.19) and confirmed suicide death (aHR = 3.47; 95 % CI = 1.20-10.0). Retaining in methadone treatment may significantly lower the hazard of probable suicide death by 52 %.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with heroin use disorders should receive careful attention for suicide risk at intake assessment and over the course of treatment and recovery. Preventive strategies should target unmet clinical and social needs and evaluate gender-specific barriers for treatment engagement.

Methylphenidate and mortality in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about methylphenidate (MPH) use and mortality outcomes.

AIMS

To investigate the association between MPH use and mortality among children with an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis.

METHOD

This population-based cohort study analysed data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). A total of 68 096 children and adolescents aged 4-17 years with an ADHD diagnosis and prescribed MPH between 2000 and 2010 were compared with 68 096 without an MPH prescription, matched on age, gender and year of first ADHD diagnosis. All participants were followed to death, migration, withdrawal from the National Health Insurance programme or 31 December 2013. MPH prescriptions were measured on a yearly basis during the study period, and the association between MPH use and mortality was analysed using a repeated-measures time-dependent Cox regression model. The outcome measures included all-cause, unnatural-cause (including suicide, accident and homicide) and natural-cause mortality, obtained from linkage to the National Mortality Register in Taiwan.

RESULTS

The MPH group had lower unadjusted all-cause, natural-, unnatural- and accident-cause mortality than the comparison group. After controlling for potential confounders, MPH use was associated with a significantly lower all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio AHR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.67-0.98, P = 0.027), delayed use of MPH was associated with higher mortality (AHR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.09) and longer MPH use was associated with lower mortality (AHR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.70-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

MPH use is associated with a reduced overall mortality in children with ADHD in this cohort study, but unmeasured confounding cannot be excluded absolutely.

Methadone maintenance treatment and survival of schizophrenic patients with a lifetime comorbid substance use disorders: a long-term follow-up study

Background Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) remains the most widely used effective therapeutic approach for opioid use disorders. However, there is paucity of empirical data regarding the relationship between the MMT and survival of subjects with schizophrenia. Aim The aim of this study was to examine the effect of MMT on the long-term survival of subjects with schizophrenia and a lifetime comorbid substance use disorders. Methods The charts of 277 consecutive subjects admitted in our center during a period from January 1, 2002 to February 1, 2007 were assessed. Psychiatric diagnoses have been established according to international classification of diseases and health related problems-10th edition (ICD-10). The risk of all-cause mortality was assessed by Cox proportional-hazards regression models, including time-dependent covariates. Results Out of MMT subjects, 31 (11.2%) had mental and behavioral disorders due to multiple psychoactive substance use, 5 (1.8%) had mental and behavioral disorders due to use of opioids. All of 13 (4.7%) subjects with opioid use disorders were treated. MMT has been found to be predictive of lower long-term survival, in time-independent (hazard ration [HR] = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.06-3.37; p<.05) and in time-dependent adjusted models (HR = 2.01; 95%CI: 1.21-3.60; p<.05). MMT daily dose of <120 mg (adjusted HR = 1.83; 95%CI: .95-3.54) and MMT daily dose of ≥120 mg (adjusted HR = 2.70; 95%CI: .97-7.54) were associated with less long-term survival, all compared with no lifetime MMT (p<.046). Conclusions Among subjects with schizophrenia and a lifetime comorbid substance use disorders, overall mortality was higher in those who received lifetime MMT, then in patients without MMT.

Relationship Between Buddhist Belief and Suicide Risk in Chinese Persons Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Therapy for Heroin Dependence

BACKGROUND

In western countries, there is a negative association between religious belief and suicide risk, while in China this association is positive. Nevertheless, few data are available on the association between one specific type of religion and suicide risk, which might be different from the overall positive religion-suicide association in China. This study examined the association between Buddhist belief and suicide risk in Chinese persons receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for heroin dependence.

METHODS

In total, 61 Buddhist believers and 425 age, gender, and clinic frequency-matched non-religious believers were selected from a sample of patients with heroin dependence treated in three MMT clinics in Wuhan, China. The suicidality module of the Chinese version of the Mini-international Neuropsychiatric Interview 5.0 was used to assess current suicide risk. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were also collected. Multiple ordinary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between Buddhist belief and current suicide risk, controlling for the confounding effects of demographic and clinical factors.

RESULTS

In Chinese patients receiving MMT for heroin dependence, Buddhist believers had significantly higher levels of current suicide risk than non-religious believers (low: 45.9% vs. 24.7%, medium: 4.9% vs. 3.5%, high: 19.7% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates (including depressive symptoms), Buddhist belief was still significantly associated with an increase in the level of current suicide risk (OR: 2.98, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Buddhist belief is significantly associated with elevated current suicide risk in Chinese patients receiving MMT for heroin independence. In Chinese MMT clinics, patients with Buddhist belief may have a high current suicide risk and a timely psychiatric assessment and crisis intervention (when necessary) should be provided to these patients.

Direct and indirect associations between perception of childhood trauma and suicidal ideation through emotion dysregulation in males who use heroin

Emotion dysregulation is considered as one of the factors related to suicide in individuals with childhood trauma (CT). However, no research has been performed on the role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between perception of CT and suicidal ideation in individuals who use heroin. This study aimed to evaluate direct and indirect relationships between perception of CT and suicidal ideation through emotion regulation difficulties (ERD) and cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERSs) in males with a DSM diagnosis of heroin dependence. In a cross-sectional design, 310 males with a DSM diagnosis of heroin dependence completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short version (CERQ-Short), the Obsessive-Compulsive Drug Use Scale-Form Heroin (OCDUS-Form Heroin), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). The results revealed that perception of CT had no direct relation to suicidal ideation. Perception of CT was indirectly associated with suicidal ideation through some ERD dimensions [e.g., non-acceptance of emotional responses (Non-acceptance), limited access to emotion regulation strategies (Strategies), lack of emotional awareness (Awareness)] and the CERS of positive reappraisal. The findings suggest that high suicidal ideation may stem from a perception of CT and subsequently emotion dysregulation in individuals who use heroin. Also, the findings of this research may have implications for the prevention and treatment of suicidal ideation in individuals using heroin with a perception of CT. The results of the present study require further examination through longitudinal studies.

Prevalence and correlates of suicide attempt among Chinese individuals receiving methadone maintenance treatment for heroin dependence

To date, there have been very limited studies regarding the clinical epidemiology of attempted suicide in Chinese individuals with heroin-dependence. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of suicide attempt in Chinese individuals receiving methadone maintenance treatment for heroin dependence. Demographic, clinical, and psychosocial data of 603 methadone-maintained patients with heroin dependence were collected with a standardized self-administered questionnaire. The presence of suicide attempt and antisocial personality disorder was assessed by using a single question and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5.0. The one-month and lifetime prevalence rates of suicide attempt were 9.5% and 34.2%, respectively. In multivariable logistic regression, lifetime suicide attempt was significantly associated with female gender (OR = 2.81), being 20–39 years old (OR = 2.73), an education level of primary school or lower (OR = 2.07), poor economic status (OR = 3.06), injecting heroin before methadone maintenance treatment (OR = 2.92), depressive symptoms (OR = 3.46), anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.88), and antisocial personality disorder (OR = 2.85). Suicide attempt is very prevalent among Chinese individuals receiving methadone maintenance treatment for heroin dependence. Services for patients with heroin dependence in methadone maintenance treatment clinics in China should include psychosocial supports, periodic screening for suicide attempt and other suicidal behaviors and, when needed, psychiatric treatment and crisis intervention.

Association Between Parental Medical Claims for Opioid Prescriptions and Risk of Suicide Attempt by Their Children

IMPORTANCE

The rate of youth suicide has increased over the past 15 years in the United States as has the rate of death due to opioid overdose in adults of parental age.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the possible connection between parental use of prescription opioids and the increasing rate of youth suicide.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A pharmacoepidemiologic study was conducted from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2016, linking medical claims for parental opioid prescriptions with medical claims for suicide attempts by their children. The study used MarketScan medical claims data covering more than 150 million privately insured people in the United States. The study included 121 306 propensity score-matched 30- to 50-year-old parents who used opioids and parents who did not use opioids and their 10- to 19-year-old children (148 395 children of parents who did not use opioids and 184 142 children of parents who used opioids). Propensity score matching was used to identify relevant control families based on demographic features and concomitant use of psychotropic medication.

EXPOSURES

Opioid use in a parent was defined as having prescription fills covering more than 365 days of an opioid between 2010 and 2016.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Suicide attempt rate in the children of parents who used opioids and those who did not use opioids.

RESULTS

A total of 148 395 children (75 575 sons and 72 820 daughters; mean [SD] age, 11.5 [1.6] years at the start of follow-up) had parents who did not use opioids and 184 142 children (94 502 sons and 89 640 daughters; mean [SD] age, 11.8 [1.8] years at the start of follow-up) with parents who did use opioids. There were 100 899 children aged 10 to 14 years and 47 496 children aged 15 to 19 years with parents who did not use opioids and 96 975 children aged 10 to 14 years and 87 163 children aged 15 to 19 years with parents who did use opioids. Of the children with parents who did not use opioids, 212 (0.14%) attempted suicide; of the children with parents who did use opioids, 678 (0.37%) attempted suicide. Parental use of opioids was associated with a doubling of the risk of a suicide attempt by their offspring (odds ratio [OR], 1.99; 95% CI, 1.71-2.33). The association remained significant after adjusting for child age and sex (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.58-2.17), addition of child and parental depression and diagnoses of substance use disorder (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.24-1.72), and addition of parental history of suicide attempt (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.23-1.71). Geographical variation in opioid use did not change the association (OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.71-2.34).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Children of parents who use prescription opioids are at increased risk for suicide attempts, which could be a contributing factor to the time trend in adolescent suicidality. The care of families with a parent who uses opioids should include mental health screening of their children.

Negative Impacts of Self-Stigma on the Quality of Life of Patients in Methadone Maintenance Treatment: The Mediated Roles of Psychological Distress and Social Functioning

A sample of heroin users (n = 250) in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was used in this cross-sectional study to clarify the mechanisms of the effects of stigma on quality of life (QoL) through psychological distress and social functioning. All the participants had their self-stigma, psychological distress, social functioning, and QoL measured. Psychological distress and social functioning were proposed to be mediators between self-stigma and QoL. Several linear models using structural equation modeling were conducted to examine the mediated effects. The negative effects of self-stigma on QoL were significantly mediated by psychological distress, as self-stigma directly and significantly influenced psychological distress, but not social functioning. This study demonstrated a linear model describing the effects of self-stigma on QoL for opioid-dependent individuals; psychological distress was also an important mediator between self-stigma and their QoL. Clinicians were able to notice the importance of reducing self-stigma for opioid-dependent individuals according to the following results: higher levels of self-stigma were associated with high psychological distress, decreased social functioning, and impaired QoL. Our mediation findings suggest that treating psychological distress is better than treating social functioning if we want to eliminate the effects of self-stigma on QoL for heroin users.

Psychological distress mediated the effects of self-stigma on quality of life in opioid-dependent individuals: A cross-sectional study

Background

Both stigma and psychological distress affect quality of life (QOL). This study is an attempt to determine the effects of these two factors on QOL and to explore possible mediation effects between psychological distress and self-stigma in opioid-dependent individuals.

Methods

This cross-sectional study comprised 268 consecutive, treatment-seeking opioid-dependent individuals who were interviewed using the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), the Self-Stigma Scale-Short (SSS-S), the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (CHQ-12), and the Opiate Treatment Index (OTI). A series of regression models were constructed to determine if the SSS-S and CHQ-12 predict the WHOQOL-BREF scores. Moreover, a comparison of the potential mediation effects of psychological distress (as assessed by the CHQ-12) was made between the SSS-S and the WHOQOL-BREF using the Baron and Kenny procedure (including three separate regressions), along with the Sobel test.

Results

The CHQ-12 score was predictive of the scores for the four domains and almost all facets of the WHOQOL-BREF except the item, “Dependence on medical aids.” Nonetheless, the SSS-S score predicted three of the four facets of the social QOL after adjustment of the CHQ-12 score. Psychological distress completely mediated the relation between self-stigma and the physical, psychological, and environmental domains, and partially mediated the relationship between self-stigma and social QOL (two-tailed Sobel test: p = 0.02 for each domain).

Conclusions

Psychological distress has a significant impact on the QOL of treated opioid users. It appears to be a core element in reducing the negative effects of self-stigma on aspects of QOL.

Morbidity and mortality in homeless individuals, prisoners, sex workers, and individuals with substance use disorders in high-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Inclusion health focuses on people in extremely poor health due to poverty, marginalisation, and multimorbidity. We aimed to review morbidity and mortality data on four overlapping populations who experience considerable social exclusion: homeless populations, individuals with substance use disorders, sex workers, and imprisoned individuals.

METHODS

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for studies published between Jan 1, 2005, and Oct 1, 2015. We included only systematic reviews, meta-analyses, interventional studies, and observational studies that had morbidity and mortality outcomes, were published in English, from high-income countries, and were done in populations with a history of homelessness, imprisonment, sex work, or substance use disorder (excluding cannabis and alcohol use). Studies with only perinatal outcomes and studies of individuals with a specific health condition or those recruited from intensive care or high dependency hospital units were excluded. We screened studies using systematic review software and extracted data from published reports. Primary outcomes were measures of morbidity (prevalence or incidence) and mortality (standardised mortality ratios [SMRs] and mortality rates). Summary estimates were calculated using a random effects model.

FINDINGS

Our search identified 7946 articles, of which 337 studies were included for analysis. All-cause standardised mortality ratios were significantly increased in 91 (99%) of 92 extracted datapoints and were 11·86 (95% CI 10·42-13·30; I2=94·1%) in female individuals and 7·88 (7·03-8·74; I2=99·1%) in men. Summary SMR estimates for the International Classification of Diseases disease categories with two or more included datapoints were highest for deaths due to injury, poisoning, and other external causes, in both men (7·89; 95% CI 6·40-9·37; I2=98·1%) and women (18·72; 13·73-23·71; I2=91·5%). Disease prevalence was consistently raised across the following categories: infections (eg, highest reported was 90% for hepatitis C, 67 [65%] of 103 individuals for hepatitis B, and 133 [51%] of 263 individuals for latent tuberculosis infection), mental health (eg, highest reported was 9 [4%] of 227 individuals for schizophrenia), cardiovascular conditions (eg, highest reported was 32 [13%] of 247 individuals for coronary heart disease), and respiratory conditions (eg, highest reported was 9 [26%] of 35 individuals for asthma).

INTERPRETATION

Our study shows that homeless populations, individuals with substance use disorders, sex workers, and imprisoned individuals experience extreme health inequities across a wide range of health conditions, with the relative effect of exclusion being greater in female individuals than male individuals. The high heterogeneity between studies should be explored further using improved data collection in population subgroups. The extreme health inequity identified demands intensive cross-sectoral policy and service action to prevent exclusion and improve health outcomes in individuals who are already marginalised.

FUNDING

Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research, NHS England, NHS Research Scotland Scottish Senior Clinical Fellowship, Medical Research Council, Chief Scientist Office, and the Central and North West London NHS Trust.

Effect of ageing and time since first heroin and cocaine use on mortality from external and natural causes in a Spanish cohort of drug users

BACKGROUND

We aimed to assess the effect of ageing and time since first heroin/cocaine use on cause-specific mortality risk and age disparities in excess mortality among heroin (HUs) and cocaine users (CUs) in Spain.

METHODS

A cohort of 15,305 HUs and 11,905 CUs aged 15-49 starting drug treatment during 1997-2007 in Madrid and Barcelona was followed until December 2008. Effects of ageing and time since first heroin/cocaine use were estimated using a competing risk Cox model and the relative and absolute excess mortality compared to the general population through directly age-sex standardized rate ratios (SRRs) and differences (SRDs), respectively.

RESULTS

Mortality risk from natural causes increased with time since first heroin use, whereas that from overdose declined after having peaked in the first quinquennium. Significant effects of time since first cocaine use were not identified, although fatal overdose risk seemed higher in CUs after five years. Mortality risk from natural causes (HUs and CUs), injuries (HUs), and overdoses (CUs) increased with age, the latter without reaching statistical significance. Crude mortality rates from overdoses and injuries remained very high at age 40-59 among both HUs (595 and 217 deaths/100,000 person-years, respectively) and CUs (191 and 88 deaths/100,000 person-years). SRDs from all and natural causes were much higher at age 40-59 than 15-29 in both HUs (2134 vs. 834 deaths/100,000 person-years) and CUs (927 vs. 221 deaths/100,000 person-years), while the opposite occurred with SRRs.

CONCLUSION

The high mortality risk among HUs and CUs at all ages from both external and natural causes, and increased SRDs with ageing, suggest that high-level healthcare and harm reduction services should be established early and maintained throughout the lifetime of these populations.

Causes of death and expected years of life lost among treated opioid-dependent individuals in the United States and Taiwan

AIMS

This study compared the cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and expected years of life lost (EYLL) among opioid-dependent individuals in the United States and Taiwan.

METHODS

Survival data came from two cohorts followed until 2014: The U.S. data were based on a randomized trial of 1267 opioid-dependent participants enrolled between 2006 and 2009; the Taiwan data were from a study of 983 individuals that began in 2006, when opioid agonist treatment (OAT) was implemented in Taiwan. SMRs were calculated for each national cohort and compared. Kaplan-Meier estimation was performed on the survival data, then lifespans were extrapolated to 70 years (840 months) to estimate life expectancy using a semi-parametric method. EYLLs for both cohorts were estimated by subtracting their life expectancies from the age- and gender-matched referents within the general population of their respective country.

RESULTS

Compared with age- and gender-matched referents, the SMRs were 3.2 for the U.S. sample and 7.8 for the Taiwan sample; the EYLLs were 7.7 and 16.4 years, respectively. Half of decedents died of unnatural causes in both cohorts; overdose deaths predominated in the U.S. and suicide in Taiwan.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identified differences by country in EYLL and causes of deaths. These findings suggest that intervention strategies to reduce mortality risk by overdose (particularly in the U.S.) and suicide (particularly in Taiwan) are urgently needed in these countries.

Increased risk of a suicide event in patients with primary fibromyalgia and in fibromyalgia patients with concomitant comorbidities: A nationwide population-based cohort study

An increased risk of suicide ideation and death has been reported in patients with fibromyalgia. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of a suicide event in patients with primary fibromyalgia and in fibromyalgia patients with comorbidities. We used the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, a subset of the national insurance claim dataset, which enrolled 1 million Taiwanese people from 2000 to 2005, to identify 95,150 patients with incident fibromyalgia (ICD-9-CM 729.0-729.1) and 190,299 reference subjects matched by sex, age, and index date of diagnosis, with a mean of 8.46 ± 2.37 years of follow-up until 2011. The risk of a suicide event (ICD-9-CM, External-Cause Codes 950-959) was analyzed with a Cox proportional hazards model. Stratification analysis was performed by separating fibromyalgia patients and reference subjects with respect to each comorbidity to determine the risk of suicide in fibromyalgia patients with or without comorbidity relative to subjects who had neither fibromyalgia nor comorbidity. In this Taiwanese dataset, there were 347 suicide events in patients with fibromyalgia (4.16 per 10 person-years) and 424 in matched reference subjects (2.63 per 10 person-years) with a significant crude hazard ratio (HR) of 1.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38-1.83) and an adjusted HR of 1.38 (95% CI 1.17-1.71) for fibromyalgia patients relative to the matched reference subjects. According to the 2 × 2 stratification analysis, we found that fibromyalgia patients without comorbidity had an independent but mild risk of a suicide event with adjusted HRs ranging from 1.33 to 1.69 relative to subjects with neither fibromyalgia nor comorbidity. Meanwhile, fibromyalgia patients with comorbidity led to a markedly enhanced risk of a suicide event relative to the matched reference subjects, with adjusted HRs ranging from 1.51 to 8.23. Our analysis confirmed a mild-to-moderate risk of a suicide event in patients with primary fibromyalgia. Attention should be paid to the prevention of suicide in fibromyalgia patients with concomitant comorbidities.

Increased Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Patients with Primary Fibromyalgia and Those with Concomitant Comorbidity-A Taiwanese Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

Fibromyalgia has seldom been associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of CHD in patients with fibromyalgia.

METHODS

We used a dataset of one million participants, systemically scrambled from the Taiwanese national insurance beneficiaries, to identify 61,612 patients with incident fibromyalgia (ICD-9-CM 729.0-729.1) and 184,834 reference subjects matched by sex, age and index date of diagnosis in a 1:3 ratio from 2000 to 2005, with a mean 8.86 ± 2.68 years of follow-up until 2011. Risk of CHD was analyzed by Cox proportional hazard modeling.

RESULTS

Patients with fibromyalgia had a mean age of 44.1 ± 16.5 years. CHD events developed in fibromyalgia patients (n = 8,280; 15.2 per 103 person-years) and reference subjects (n = 15,162; 9.26 per 103 person-years) with a significant incidence rate ratio of 1.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.61-1.68). The adjusted hazard ratio for CHD in fibromyalgia patients relative to reference subjects was 1.47 (1.43-1.51), after adjusting for age, gender, occupation, monthly income, traditional cardiovascular comorbidities, depression and anxiety. We noted that fibromyalgia and cardiovascular comorbidities had a significant interaction effect on CHD risk (p for interaction <0.01), which was markedly enhanced in fibromyalgia patients with concomitant comorbidities relative to patients with primary fibromyalgia and reference subjects (no fibromyalgia, no comorbidity).

CONCLUSIONS

Our report shows that fibromyalgia patients have an independent risk for CHD development. Fibromyalgia patients with concomitant comorbidities have markedly increased CHD risk relative to those with primary fibromyalgia.

Estimation of life expectancy and the expected years of life lost among heroin users in the era of opioid substitution treatment (OST) in Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Opioid substitution treatment (OST) has been implemented in Taiwan since 2006. We estimated the life expectancy (LE) and expected years of life lost (EYLL) in a cohort of heroin users stratified by OST for comparison.

METHODS

A total of 1283 heroin users recruited from 2006 to 2008 were linked to the National Mortality Registry until the end of 2011. Among them, 983 received OST, while 300 did not. Kaplan-Meier estimation for survival was performed, and it was extrapolated to 50 years to obtain the LE using a semi-parametric method. We further estimated the EYLL for both cohorts by subtracting their life expectancies from the age- and sex-matched referents of the general population. Cause-specific standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated and compared with the national cohort to validate the representativeness of this sample.

RESULTS

After extrapolation to 50 years of survival, the estimated average LE and EYLL were 27.4 and 10.6 for OST subjects, respectively, while those of the non-OST were 20.2 and 18.4 years. The all-cause mortality rates (per 1000 person-years) in the observational period for the OST and non-OST group were 15.5 and 23.9, respectively, representing a 7.5- and 10.2-fold SMR compared to the general population, indicating a high representativeness for our sample. But SMR of suicide mortality elevated 16.2 and 3.1 folds in OST and non-OST group, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

OST saves 7.8 EYLL more than non-OST after accounting for lead time bias. Effective suicide prevention programs could enhance its life-saving effect, especially among those co-morbid with depressive disorders.

The message of the heroin overdoses

Drug use can be defined as a kind of self destruction, and it is directly linked to attitudes toward death and suicide occurring in a significant number of users of different narcotics. The aim of the authors was to look for the background of this relationship between drug and death and examine the origin, development, and motives behind heroin overdose based on an analysis of previous studies. It seems clear that pure heroin overdose increased gradually over the years. The fear of the police is the inhibitory factor of the overdose prevention and notification of emergency health care service. Signs of suicide could be the own home as the chosen location for heroin overdose and the presence of partners (“moment of death companion”). Interventions should include simple techniques such as first aid, naloxone administration, resuscitation, prevention of relapse of prisoners and social network extension involving maintenance programs. Orv. Hetil., 2015, 156(9), 352–357.

Excessive suicide mortality and risk factors for suicide among patients with heroin dependence

BACKGROUND

The mortality risk is high among individuals dependent on heroin, and suicide is a severe consequence of long-term heroin use. We estimated the incidence of suicide mortality and its risk factors in a large Asian cohort with heroin dependence.

METHODS

A consecutive series of 2750 inpatients dependent on heroin admitted to a psychiatric center in northern Taiwan between 1990 and 2010 were retrospectively enrolled as the study cohort. These patients were linked to the Taiwan National Mortality Database to obtain each mortality event. We determined the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) for each cause of death. Among the deceased, 69 deaths were due to suicide (cases); 138 controls were randomly selected using risk-set density sampling based on a nested case-control design. We collected clinical information from subjects' medical records. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was employed to explore the correlates of suicide mortality.

RESULTS

The findings showed a 7.9-fold SMR for all-cause mortality among heroin users compared to the general population while the SMR for suicide mortality was 16.2. Multivariate analysis showed that suicide attempt as the reason for the index admission (adjusted risk ratio [RR] = 4.29, p = 0.035) and depressive syndrome anytime during life (adjusted RR = 2.61, p = 0.019) were associated with the risk of suicide mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals dependent on heroin are more likely to die of suicide compared to the general population. We recommend that clinical psychiatric staff carefully gather information related to the identified risk factors to prevent suicide among heroin users.