Alcohol use and death by suicide: A meta-analysis of 33 studies

Until 2012, data on suicides were collected in the General Police Headquarters of Poland after the screening was conducted and completed. From 2013, data were entered immediately after the incident, i.e., when it was established that a suicide attempt took place, and the system allows for their modification if it is determined at a later stage of the proceedings that no suicide attempt took place. In the case of the Statistics Poland, data were updated from the death is demi moore sober records, and suicide attempts are not reported at all.

Medical

Significant differences in substances were observed between low-income and Western countries that confirm previous literature data. In rural areas and Asian countries, most suicides by consuming poison involve the use of pesticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates. In Western countries, illicit drugs and medically prescribed drugs are the leading cause of suicide by self-poisoning. Future research should shed light on the correlation between social, medical, and demographic characteristics and the autopsy findings in suicides by self-poisoning to highlight the risk factors and implement tailored prevention programs worldwide. Performing a complete autopsy on a suspected suicide by self-poisoning could be essential in supporting worldwide public health measures and policy makers. Therefore, complete autopsies in such cases must be vigorously promoted.

Toxicological tests were conducted on urine, blood, and vitreous humor and found that the main substances used were paracetamol, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. A 20-year retrospective study [30] conducted in Jamaica on poisoning-related deaths revealed that 63.6% of these were suicides, committed by taking insecticides (41%), herbicides (paraquat 27%), drugs (48.9%), and cocaine (9%). Teenagers and young adults who drink may be at particular risk for alcohol overdose. Research shows that teens and college-age young adults often engage in binge drinking and high-intensity drinking.

1. This systematic review aimed to analyze autopsies related to suicides by consuming poison, focusing on the correlation between substance use and the country of origin to create an alarm bell to indicate that suicide maybe attempted and prevent it.
2. To shed light on the cause and manner of the death, toxicological analysis is crucial in the forensic context, combined with a historical anamnesis, scene evidence, psychological autopsy, and autopsy.
3. Another study [36], conducted retrospectively on 588 autopsy cases related to suicides, revealed that 30.6% of the cases were of suicide by the intentional consumption of organophosphates and local plants, followed by other compounds in agricultural use.
4. If you think that someone has alcohol poisoning, get medical attention right away.

Over three-quarters of Canadians drink alcohol, so either you drink or know someone who does. As Canadians weigh the pros and cons of adopting the new drinking guidelines, they should be thinking not just about the risks to their physical health, but also to their mental health. Public policies should be looking to increase awareness of the link between alcohol and suicide and to assess and can alcohol affect the gallbladder treat problematic alcohol use as a way to prevent suicide.

Alcohol use and death by suicide: A meta-analysis of 33 studies

A systematic literature search was conducted by two authors (G.M. and G.D.A.) independently for studies published between January 2000 and May 2022. There is so much concern about Canadians’ drinking that some policymakers are advocating for warning labels on alcohol bottles like those on cigarette packages. In fact, we are so concerned about excessive drinking that we implement initiatives like Dry January where we challenge ourselves not to drink alcohol for a month.

By collecting circumstantial and socio-psychological data, it is possible to identify the factors and preclude suicide. All these elements indicate that suicide prevention in all countries should be rethought and reorganized. Furthermore, the role of the general practitioner should be strengthened in the care of suicidal patients because they are often on the front line. At the same time, psychiatrists are seldom directly solicited by these patients [56,58,59,60]. The studies examined showed a clear majority of male subjects; however, there were no sufficient data on the type of suicide or the relationship between the kind of substance in case of self-poisoning and gender. This could be a basis for further investigation to shed the light on the emerging gender medicine [43].

It’s also in mouthwash, some cooking extracts, some medicines and certain household products. Ethyl alcohol poisoning generally results from drinking too many alcoholic beverages in a short period of time. The types of substances involved in poisoning cases are continuously changing according to local environmental, cultural, and economic factors and differences in the management of poisonous substances in various countries [6]. However, alcoholism and alcohol misuse can significantly increase one’s risk of death by suicide. The suicide attempt data collected in the period from 1999 to 2020 are shown in Table 1 and distributed by year and intoxication substance. This serial cross-sectional study used national vital statistics data from the entire US population from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2017, among US residents aged 20 to 64 years.

A study conducted between 2007 and 2009 by Frost et al. [34] in Norway estimated that toxicological investigations were performed in 361 of 365 autopsies. The collected matrices, blood, and urine were analyzed by GC, LC–MS and revealed the presence of benzodiazepines, alcohol, opioids, and psychoactive drugs. Socio-cultural background and legislation influence rates and methods of suicide.

Data Availability Statement

Even drinking alcohol while taking over-the-counter antihistamines can be dangerous. Drinking too much and too quickly can lead to significant impairments in motor coordination, decision-making, impulse control, and other functions, increasing the risk of harm. Continuing to drink despite clear signs of significant impairments can result in an alcohol overdose. In Sweden, four retrospective solution-focused therapy interventions studies with consistent autopsy series were included in the review.

The most common method of suicide in Poland is hanging, especially among men. Women tend to overdose on medications to commit suicide [6,7,8,9,10,11]. Self-poisoning suicide attempts are not uncommon in medical practice; in fact, self-poisoning is one of the most frequently used methods for suicide attempts. Typically, it involves an intentional overdose of various substances.

This fact was not caused by the actual growth of the suicide rate in Poland but because of the implementation of changes to the GPHP reporting system. It received the wording “KSIP-10 report on suicide attempt/behavior” and the scope of the collected data was extended. It is necessary to analyze suicide statistics in Poland very carefully [23]. The analysis does not include the ICD-10 code X84 “Intentional self-harm by unspecified means”, which could involve poisoning suicide attempts.

All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. The WHO stated that self-poisoning using pesticides is one of the leading causes of suicide worldwide. Regulation and adequate legislation may considerably prevent this phenomenon. Initially, articles were selected on the basis of title and abstract. Subsequently, a full-text evaluation of the selected studies was carried out.

In Western countries, illicit drugs (especially opioids) and medically prescribed drugs, such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, and neuroleptics, are the leading cause of suicide by self-poisoning. The selected studies are missing information regarding sociodemographic factors, medical history, and psychopathological factors. Moreover, not all geographic areas are represented in the study and given that the data emerge from autopsy studies, the results could not be representative of the epidemiological scenario. To highlight the involved risk factors and implement a tailored prevention program worldwide, future research should shed light on the correlation between social, medical, and demographic characteristics and the autopsy findings in suicide by self-poisoning. Autopsy and toxicological analyses are crucial to assess the manner of death by suicide and the substances consumed to commit suicide. Performing a complete autopsy on a suspected suicide by self-poisoning could be essential for supporting worldwide public health measures and policy makers; therefore, complete autopsies must be vigorously promoted.