Huang Jian-Xing, Xu Yan-Min, Zhong Bao-Liang
College of Sociology and History, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China.
Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China.
Front Psychiatry. 2020 May 7;11:414. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00414. eCollection 2020.
In western countries, there is a negative association between religious belief and suicide risk, while in China this association is positive. Nevertheless, few data are available on the association between one specific type of religion and suicide risk, which might be different from the overall positive religion-suicide association in China. This study examined the association between Buddhist belief and suicide risk in Chinese persons receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) for heroin dependence.
In total, 61 Buddhist believers and 425 age, gender, and clinic frequency-matched non-religious believers were selected from a sample of patients with heroin dependence treated in three MMT clinics in Wuhan, China. The suicidality module of the Chinese version of the Mini-international Neuropsychiatric Interview 5.0 was used to assess current suicide risk. Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were also collected. Multiple ordinary logistic regression was used to analyze the association between Buddhist belief and current suicide risk, controlling for the confounding effects of demographic and clinical factors.
In Chinese patients receiving MMT for heroin dependence, Buddhist believers had significantly higher levels of current suicide risk than non-religious believers (low: 45.9% vs. 24.7%, medium: 4.9% vs. 3.5%, high: 19.7% vs. 12.5%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates (including depressive symptoms), Buddhist belief was still significantly associated with an increase in the level of current suicide risk (OR: 2.98, P < 0.001).
Buddhist belief is significantly associated with elevated current suicide risk in Chinese patients receiving MMT for heroin independence. In Chinese MMT clinics, patients with Buddhist belief may have a high current suicide risk and a timely psychiatric assessment and crisis intervention (when necessary) should be provided to these patients.
在西方国家，宗教信仰与自杀风险之间存在负相关，而在中国这种关联是正相关。然而，关于某一特定宗教类型与自杀风险之间的关联的数据很少，这可能与中国宗教与自杀总体正相关有所不同。本研究调查了接受美沙酮维持治疗（MMT）以治疗海洛因依赖的中国人群中佛教信仰与自杀风险之间的关联。
从中国武汉三家MMT诊所接受治疗的海洛因依赖患者样本中，选取了61名佛教信徒以及425名年龄、性别和门诊就诊频率相匹配的非宗教信徒。使用中文版迷你国际神经精神访谈5.0的自杀观念模块评估当前自杀风险。还收集了患者的人口统计学和临床特征。采用多元普通逻辑回归分析佛教信仰与当前自杀风险之间的关联，同时控制人口统计学和临床因素的混杂效应。
在接受MMT治疗海洛因依赖的中国患者中，佛教信徒当前的自杀风险水平显著高于非宗教信徒（低风险：45.9%对24.7%，中度风险：4.9%对3.5%，高风险：19.7%对12.5%，P<0.001）。在调整了人口统计学和临床协变量（包括抑郁症状）后，佛教信仰仍与当前自杀风险水平的增加显著相关（比值比：2.98，P<0.001）。
佛教信仰与接受MMT治疗海洛因依赖的中国患者当前自杀风险升高显著相关。在中国的MMT诊所中，有佛教信仰的患者当前可能具有较高的自杀风险，应及时对这些患者进行精神评估并在必要时进行危机干预。
