Citation

Lloyd JJ, Ricketts EP, Havens JR, Cornelius LJ, Bishai DM, Huettner S, Latkin C, Strathdee SA. J. Psychoactive Drugs 2007; 39(2): 159-166.

Affiliation

Temple University School of Social Administration, 554 Ritter Annex, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA. jlloyd@temple.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Haight-Ashbury Publications in association with the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

17703710

PMCID

PMC2258230

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between lifetime abuse and suicidal ideation in a sample of 245 injection drug users (IDUs) who attended the Baltimore Needle Exchange Program and received a referral for opiate agonist therapy. Data were obtained from baseline interviews and HIV antibody tests. The sample mean age was 42.2 (SD = 8.1 ); 77% were African American; 69% were male. Overall, 27% reported thoughts of suicide in the last six months, and lifetime emotional, physical and sexual abuse was reported by 17%, 12% and 10%, respectively. In bivariate analyses, recent suicidal ideation was associated with emotional (odds ratio [OR] = 3.2; p = 0.001), physical (OR = 2.5; p = 0.026), and sexual abuse (OR = 5.0; p < 0.001). In multiple logistic regression models controlling for HIV status and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) score, individuals who experienced emotional abuse were more than twice as likely to report recent suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.6; p = 0.011); those who experienced sexual abuse were four times more likely to report suicidal ideation (AOR = 4.0; p = 0.004). These findings suggest that emotional and sexual abuse might be risk factors for suicidality among IDUs and also might suggest that suicide prevention should be an integral part of drug treatment for treatment-seeking IDUs.

Language: en