La drogodependencia como factor de riesgo de suicidio y otras variables asociadas

Introduction : Patients treated in addictive behavior units are considered high-risk suicide population, because several social-demographic and medical circumstances coexist in them, and those circumstances increase the risk. Substance abuse is considered as underlying and hasten factor, and in a large percentage of cases, substance abuse is linked to other mental illnesses which represent a marked increase of risk to carry out self-aggressive behaviors. Marginalization, sometimes linked to drug dependency, could also condition an increase of risk. Method : Is proposed to make a retrospective case-control study which main aim is to assess the suicide rate in drug dependent population and in not drug dependent population in a health care center. Were consulted the medical records of the patients that died between 2007 and 2011 from the Addictive Behavior Unit (cases group) and from the health center care (control group) and were extracted data about study variables. Results : Results show that 33% of patients committed suicide within the drug dependent population group, compared to 2% who committed suicide within the not drug dependent population group. In the drug dependent population group there were more cases of mental illness and HIV infection. In addition, this group had more previous suicidal acts than the other group, being this difference statistically significant. Conclusions : drug dependent population should be considered with attention at the time of assessing the risk of committing suicide, especially if the patient has other risk factors.