Acute Influence of Alcohol,THC or Central Stimulants on Violent Suicide: A Swedish Population Study |
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| Authors: | Lena Lundholm PhD Ingemar Thiblin PhD Bo Runeson PhD Anders Leifman MSE Anna Fugelstad PhD |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Surgical Sciences, Forensic Medicine, Uppsala University, Dag Hammarsk?lds v?g 17, Uppsala, SE‐752 37 Sweden;2. Additional information and reprint requests:;3. Lena Lundholm, Lic. Psychologist;4. Department of Surgical Sciences;5. Forensic Medicine Uppsala University;6. Dag Hammarsk?lds v?g 17;7. Uppsala SE‐752 37;8. Sweden;9. E‐mail:;10. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, Karolinska Institutet, St G?ran, Stockholm, SE‐112 81, Sweden;11. Stockholm Dependency Center, Folkungagatan 44, Stockholm, SE 118 95 Sweden;12. Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska sjukhuset Z8, Stockholm, SE 171 76 Sweden |
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| Abstract: | Alcohol and substance abuse in general is a risk factor for suicide, but very little is known about the acute effect in relation to suicide method. Based on information from 18,894 medico‐legal death investigations, including toxicological findings and manner of death, did the present study investigate whether acute influence of alcohol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or central stimulants (amphetamine and cocaine) was related to the use of a violent suicide method, in comparison with the nonviolent method self‐poisoning and alcohol‐/illicit drug‐negative suicide decedents. Multivariate analysis was conducted, and the results revealed that acute influence of THC was related to using the violent suicide method–– jumping from a height (RR 1.62; 95% CI 1.01–2.41). Alcohol intoxication was not related to any violent method, while the central stimulant‐positive suicide decedent had a higher, albeit not significant, risk of several violent methods. The study contributes with elucidating suicide methods in relation to acute intoxication. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science suicide substance abuse violence |
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