Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore 539747, Singapore.
National Addictions Management Service, Institute of Mental Health, 10 Buangkok View, Singapore 539747, Singapore.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jul 31;16(15):2743. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16152743.
Substance use carries a higher risk of unnatural death. A retrospective analysis of 42 treatment seekers between 2011-2015 was conducted through medical record review to understand the profile and circumstances leading to premature deaths. Ninety percent of the subjects were males. The mean age at death was 44.9 (SD ± 13.1). Opioids (52.4%), benzodiazepines (45.2%) and alcohol (35.7%) were the main substances used by the group. Suicide was the most common cause of death ( = 27, 64.3%) followed by accidents ( = 15; 35.7%). Among the suicide cases, alcohol was the main substance used (33.3%) followed by opioids (25.9%). A total of 58.5% ( = 24) deaths occurred within a year of their last visit while 41.5% ( = 17) were dead more than a year after their last visit. Of the total cases ( = 41), 63% had a history of mental illness with depressive disorder (53.8%) being the most common. History of suicide attempts were reported in 34.1% ( = 14) of cases and 50% of the subjects ( = 21) had a history of suicidal ideation. Drug related offences were reported in 57.1% of the subjects, of which 60% ( = 18) committed suicide. The findings support the need for appropriate treatment resources to reduce the untimely deaths among substance users.
物质使用会增加非自然死亡的风险。通过病历回顾，对 2011-2015 年间的 42 名治疗寻求者进行了回顾性分析，以了解导致过早死亡的情况和原因。90%的研究对象为男性，死亡时的平均年龄为 44.9 岁（标准差 ± 13.1）。该组主要使用的物质为阿片类药物（52.4%）、苯二氮䓬类药物（45.2%）和酒精（35.7%）。自杀是最常见的死亡原因（=27，64.3%），其次是意外（=15，35.7%）。在自杀案例中，酒精是主要使用的物质（33.3%），其次是阿片类药物（25.9%）。58.5%（=24）的死亡发生在他们最后一次就诊后的一年内，41.5%（=17）的死亡发生在他们最后一次就诊一年后。在总共 41 个案例中，63%有精神疾病史，其中以抑郁障碍（53.8%）最为常见。报告有自杀企图史的占 34.1%（=14），有自杀意念史的占 50%（=21）。报告有与药物相关的犯罪行为的占 57.1%，其中 60%（=18）自杀。这些发现支持需要适当的治疗资源，以减少物质使用者的非预期死亡。
