In a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or SAMHSA, there is an increase in emergency room visits for drug-related suicide attempts among young to middle aged men from 2005 to 2009.
According to a feature on WebMD, an astounding 55% increase has been recorded in suicide attempt incidents of men aged 21 to 34 years old. The new findings also highlight the use of prescription medications for the said suicide attempts.
A total of 77,971 ER visits were made by men in all ages for drug-related suicide attempts in 2009. The researchers classified cases of drug-related suicide attempt if the ER staff labels his patient as under suicide attempts that is mainly drug-related, and not due to drug overdose.
The figure in 2005 for drug-related suicide attempts for men 21 to 34 years old was 19,024 but that number grew in 2009 with 29,407 incidents recorded. Antidepressants accounted for a 155% increase in suicide attempts for men in the same age bracket from the year 2005 to 2009 while anti-anxiety and insomnia medications accounted for a 93.4% jump in the collected data.
The report once again puts prescription drugs in the spotlight. Dr. Peter J. Delany, director of the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality in Rockville, says that “we need to restrict access to prescription drugs, and keep them in safe, restricted places in homes.” This will at least avoid the medications from getting into the wrong hands.
Drug-related suicide warning signs include agitation, anxiety, withdrawal attitude towards other people, persistent talk about the subject of dying or death, and an increase in drug and alcohol intake. If you should ever see these signs on a particular person, you may call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK. Lines are open 24 hours a day.
Tags: drug abuse suicide, men prescription drug abuse, painkiller drug suicide, prescription drug abuse suicides
