Healthcare utilisation prior to suicide in persons with alcohol use disorder: national cohort and nested case-control study

Association between Alcohol Use Disorder and Suicidal Ideation Using Propensity Score Matching in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the association between alcohol use disorder (AUD) and suicidal ideation (SI) in the general Korean population. Methods: The 2022 Mental Health Awareness Survey was collected from the Chungcheongnam-do Mental Health Welfare Center (CHMHC). Before Propensity Score Matching (PSM), 823 participants were included in this study. After 1:4 PSM, the 255 participants were analyzed using the chi-square test and matched conditional logistic regression. Results: The AUD group had higher odds of experiencing SI than the non-AUD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.40, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.10-5.22). Stratified matched conditional logistic regression showed that, among the female, <40 years and single group, the AUD group was more likely to experience SI compared with the non-AUD, respectively (AOR:3.53, 95% CI: 1.20-10.44/AOR:3.45, 95% CI: 1.03-11.55/AOR:4.83, 95% CI: 1.18-19.69). However, among the male, ≥40 years and married group, we discovered no association between AUD and SI. Conclusions: Through this study, we found a strong association between the AUD group and SI. This association was particularly strong among female, <40 years, and single groups. This study elucidates the relationship between AUD and SI in the Chungnam region, which had not been previously identified in Korea, and it is expected to serve as foundational data for reducing the high suicide rate in this region. However, due to the limitation of being a cross-sectional study, future longitudinal research is required.

Trajectories of Service Contact before Suicide in People with Substance Use Disorders-A National Register Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify trajectories of service use during the last year before suicide death and the characteristics associated with the trajectories in patients with substance use disorders.

METHODS

This study used a national registry data linkage, which included all patients with substance use disorders who died by suicide in Norway between 2010 and 2018. In- and outpatient contacts with mental health or substance use services during the last year before suicide death was analyzed by week using Sequence State Analysis and cluster analysis to identify trajectories. Logistic regression was used to measure the association between the characteristics and the trajectories.

RESULTS

We identified four trajectories of service contact. A brief contact trajectory (n = 366) with a low proportion of weeks in contact (M weeks = 8.3), associated with less psychosis or bipolar disorder (aOR = 0.13 (0.08-0.22)) and higher age. A regular contact trajectory (n = 160), with a higher proportion of contact (M weeks = 47.9), associated with psychosis or bipolar disorder (aOR = 3.66 (2.10-6.47)) and depressive or anxiety disorder (aOR = 3.11 (1.93-5.13)). An intermittent contact trajectory (n = 195) with most contacts with outpatient substance use disorder services (M weeks = 9.7). A continuous contact trajectory (n = 109) with a high proportion of inpatient contact (M weeks = 44.5), strongly associated with psychosis or bipolar disorder (aOR = 6.08 (3.26-11.80)).

CONCLUSION

Longitudinal descriptions of service use reveal different trajectories that are important to consider when developing policies or interventions to reduce the risk of suicide death in patients with substance use disorders.

The temporal association between suicide and comorbid mental disorders in people treated for substance use disorders: a National registry study

BACKGROUND

The time after contact with specialized health services for mental health and substance use is associated with an increased risk of suicide, where temporal aspects of suicide and comorbid mental disorders in patients with substance use disorders could be associated. This study aimed to examine the temporal association between time from last treatment contact to suicide and comorbid mental disorders in patients with substance use disorders.

METHODS

This study is a historical prospective case series using nationwide registry data. It included 946 individuals registered the year before suicide with a substance use disorder (F10-F19) in Norway's specialized health services for treating substance use and mental health disorders between 2010 and 2020. The outcome was the number of weeks from the last contact with services to suicide. The exposure was comorbid mental disorders divided into 'no comorbid mental disorder'; 'psychosis or bipolar disorders' (F20-F31), 'depressive or anxiety disorders' (F32-F49); and 'personality disorders' (F60-F69). Covariates included gender, age, last diagnosed substance use disorder, registered deliberate self-harm last year, and the number of in- and outpatient contacts the previous year.

RESULTS

The number of weeks from last service contact to suicide differed (p =  < 0.001) between patients with no comorbid mental disorders (Median = 7; IQR 2-23), psychosis or bipolar disorders (Median = 2; IQR = 1-7), depressive or anxiety disorders (Median = 3; IQR = 1-11) and personality disorders (Median = 1; IQR = 1-5.5). Significantly decreased adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) were found for psychosis or bipolar disorders [aIRR = 0.67 (95% CI 0.53-0.85)] and personality disorders [aIRR = 0.56 (0.42-0.77)] compared to no comorbid mental disorder when adjusted for individual characteristics and service contact. For depressive and anxiety disorders compared to no comorbid mental disorder, the association was significant when adjusted for individual characteristics [aIRR = 0.55 (0.46-0.66)].

CONCLUSIONS

While patients with substance use disorders generally died by suicide a short time after contact with services, patients with comorbid mental disorders died an even shorter time after such contact and significantly shorter than patients without such comorbidities.

Comparative risk of suicide by specific substance use disorders: A national cohort study

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are important risk factors for suicide, yet little is known about how suicide risks vary by specific SUDs. We examined these risks for the first time in a large general population to facilitate comparisons across SUDs. A national cohort study was conducted of all 6,947,191 adults in Sweden. SUDs (opioid, sedative/hypnotic, hallucinogen, cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol use disorders) were identified using inpatient, outpatient, and crime data, and suicide deaths using nationwide death data with follow-up during 2003-2016. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for suicide death while adjusting for sociodemographic factors and psychiatric, SUD, and somatic comorbidities. Co-sibling analyses assessed for confounding by unmeasured shared familial (genetic and/or environmental) factors. In 79.8 million person-years of follow-up, 15,616 (0.2%) suicide deaths were identified. All SUDs were associated with significantly increased risks, with HRs ranging from 12- to 26-fold and 2.5- to 6.4-fold before and after adjusting for covariates, respectively. After adjusting for all covariates, opioid use disorder was the strongest risk factor (HR, 6.39; 95% CI, 5.53-7.38) (P ≤ 0.002 compared with any other SUD), followed by sedative/hypnotic use disorder (4.62; 4.06-5.27) (P ≤ 0.009 compared with any other SUD except opioid or hallucinogen). Most associations persisted after controlling for shared familial factors, consistent with causal effects. In this large national cohort, all SUDs were associated with significantly increased risks of suicide death, especially opioid and sedative/hypnotic use disorders. These findings may improve risk stratification and inform interventions to prevent suicide in the highest-risk subgroups with SUDs.