Citation

Dhossche DM. Prim. Psychiatry 2007; 14(11): 63-70.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, MBL Communications)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Is surveillance of postmortem toxicology a useful way of evaluating the prior rate of psychiatric treatment and substance abuse in people who commit suicide? The question is an important public health issue given the lack of sensitive measures of suicide prevention and current controversy about the role of psychotherapeutic medications. This article reviews the literature on the toxicology of suicide. Although toxicologic investigations are considered an integral part of medical-forensic investigations in individual cases of suicide, very few states require comprehensive toxicology on all suicide victims. Instead, subjective determinations for toxicologic testing based on local policy and individual coroner or medical examiner preference are common practices. Systematic routine toxicologic monitoring in all suicides may serve as ex vivo markers of treatment rate and substance abuse patterns in suicides. The potential of such markers are noted in studies that evaluate risk factors of suicide, including the effects on suicide rates of changing prescription rates of psychotropic medications.

Language: en

Keywords

human; suicide; alcohol; schizophrenia; psychosis; risk assessment; mood disorder; cocaine; alcohol intoxication; review; toxicology; substance abuse; mental disease; antidepressant agent; barbituric acid derivative; neuroleptic agent; doxepin; imipramine; serotonin uptake inhibitor; opiate; social aspect; dextropropoxyphene; benzodiazepine derivative; borderline state; psychiatric treatment; amphetamine derivative; maprotiline