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Loo H, Caroli F.
“La Conduite Toxicomaniaque dens ses Rapports a la Conduite Suicidaire”.
Ann.Med.-Psychol. 1975;33,(5):617-634.
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Abstract
Surveys were undertaken of drug addicts to ascertain their suicidal tendencies and if possible to correlate them to personality type, drug of addiction and precipitating cause. In the first survey of 70 patients, 13 made suicide attempts of which 5 were serious. Of the latter, 3 were adults addicted to heroin or barbiturates. Other patients attempting suicide were 16-26 years old. Patients took their habitual drug by injection (heroin, 3 cases, cocaine, 1, morphine, 1, amphetamines, 1), inhalation (trichlorethylene, 2, ether, 1, cannabis, 1) or p.o. (LSD, 2, barbiturates 1). Timing of the attempts was before intoxication (2 cases), after intoxication (3 cases) or during drug dependence (8 cases). The most common precipitating factor was the failure of the drugs prescribed to cope with a depressive episode. Means of suicide included overdose, Valium, barbiturates, alcohol, digitoxin, soneryl, corydrane, Immenoctal and Belldenal. The second survey of 100 patients aged 17-47 yr reports 36 cases of attempted suicide on 1 or more occasions. In the same period 42 patients were victims of "overdoses' resulting in serious accidents or coma; 28-patients attempted suicide and also suffered "overdoses". 3 Patients had an accidental death (1 accidental overdose, 1 opiate overdose and 1 suicide). 14 Patients took "overdoses" but made no suicide attempt while 8 attempted suicide but took no "overdose". Of all the patients, 50 had attempted suicide and/or taken an "overdose" at some time. The patients were categorized as psychopaths (57), psychotics (34), drug addicts (5), or neurotics (4), but it was not possible to correlate any one group with a high incidence of suicide attempts.
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