Citation

Xu YM, Zhong BL, Chen WC, Zhu JH, Lu J. Oncotarget 2017; 8(49): 86181-86187.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Impact Journals)

DOI

10.18632/oncotarget.21032

PMID

29156786

PMCID

PMC5689676

Abstract

Heroin users are at high risk for suicide. However, the epidemiological profile of suicidal behaviors in Chinese methadone-maintained patients remains largely unknown. This study determined the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among Chinese methadone-maintained patients. A total of 603 methadone-maintained patients were consecutively recruited from three methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) clinics in Wuhan, China, and administered with standardized questionnaires to collect sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological data. Suicidal ideation was measured with a single self-report question "Have you ever thought about committing suicide?". Depression and anxiety were assessed with Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale and Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale, respectively. The one-month and lifetime prevalence rates of suicidal ideation were 17.9% and 58.9%, respectively. In multiple logistic regression, lifetime suicidal ideation was significantly associated with female (OR: 1.69), an educational attainment of primary school and below (OR: 1.47), fair and poor interpersonal relationship (OR: 2.20), a history of injecting heroin (OR: 1.60), depression (OR: 1.38), and anxiety (OR: 4.00). Methadone-maintained patients of MMT clinics have a high prevalence of suicidal ideation and therefore at high risk for suicide. Suicide prevention efforts at MMT clinics should include periodic evaluation of suicidality, psychosocial supports, and, when necessary, psychiatric treatment and crisis intervention.

Language: en

Keywords

correlate; methadone maintenance treatment; prevalence; suicidal ideation