Suicide attempts make up 9 percent of drug-related hospital emergency department visits by adolescents, according to studies conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
There were notable differences in the types of drugs used across age and gender groups. Adolescent males admitted for drug-related suicide attempts were more than three times as likely to have use antipsychotic drugs as their female counterparts (14.3 percent vs. 4.3 percent). About three in 10 of female adolescents who attempted suicide used acetaminophen products. Attempted suicides involving women ages 25 and older often (50 percent) involve anti-anxiety drugs.
Follow-up care seems to vary according to the type of substance used and the age of those attempting suicide. While 90 percent of adolescents who visited hospital EDs for attempted suicide with antidepressants received follow-up care, only 52 percent of those whose attempts involved ibuprofen received such care.
Adolescents were more likely to get follow-up care than those ages 25 or older if the suicide attempt involved alcohol (83 percent vs. 59 percent).
To learn more:
- read the SAMHSA studies here, here
- read the SAMHSA press release
- read the HealthDay News article via Businessweek