Young people often turn to common medicine-cabinet drugs when attempting suicide, study says – By JoAnne Viviano (The Columbus Dispatch) / Oct 7 2019
A new study led by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital indicates that people ages 10 to 25 who attempt suicide by poisoning most often turn to whatever is available — from over-the-counter pain relievers and allergy pills to antidepressants and ADHD medications. They want parents to rethink how they store and manage medications.
Young people attempting to kill themselves by poisoning most often turn to drugs that are found in medicine cabinets and easily accessible at any drug store or grocery, according to a new study.
Over-the-counter analgesics such as aspirin, Tylenol and Advil topped the list of all substances used in nearly 1.7 million suicide attempts nationwide by people ages 10 to 25 from 2000 to 2018, according to the study published online Monday in the journal Clinical Toxicology.
Antidepressants followed, with sedatives and hypnotics the third most commonly used substances. Antihistamines, like Benadryl and other allergy drugs, and antipsychotics rounded out the top five.
The study, led by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, indicated that more than half of the total attempts resulted in hospitalization. And nearly 25% resulted in serious medical outcomes, including 1,579 deaths.
“They are taking what’s available to them,” said psychologist John Ackerman, a co-author of the study and suicide prevention coordinator at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children’s. ”… All medications carry risks and benefits, even over-the-counter medications, and if it’s strong enough to help cure us, it’s strong enough to harm us.”
The study reviewed data from the National Poison Data System maintained by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. It builds upon data published in May, when researchers reported that the number of adolescents and young adults trying to take their lives with poison more than doubled from 2010 to 2018.
Also concerning in the current study, researchers said, is that use of ADHD medications in attempts resulted in the highest risk of causing serious outcomes that led to moderate or major effects. Such drugs were found in the top five most common substances in all age groups from 10 to 18.
Meanwhile, the frequency of using opioids in suicide attempts has declined substantially since 2012.
Researchers also noted that suicide rates were higher in rural states, designated as such based on population density. And frequency increased during school months among people ages 10 to 18; the same was not true for those 19 to 25.
The results suggest that programming to address adolescent suicide must be developed for schools, parents and middle- and high-school age students, said Henry Spiller, study co-author and director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s.
“There’s something dramatic happening here, and this kind of research brings attention to it,” he said. ”… People respond to fire; this is a fire. It’s not smoke, it’s fire. We’re trying to get resources devoted to this.”
Very simple steps that create a gap or delay between the onset of a suicidal crisis and access to means can increase the chances that a person will survive, and parents should be more thoughtful about how all drugs are stored, monitored and managed, said Ackerman, who also is affiliated with the Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Medications should be stored in a locked cabinet, he said, and young people in charge of their own medications should be limited in the amount available at one time.
His advice is that parents and teens decide together if the child is ready to handle medications. He said it should never be assumed that a child who can manage many other things can also effectively manage medications.
Researchers from the Child Injury Prevention Alliance and Ohio University also were involved in the study.
For help, reach Ohio’s 24/7 Crisis Text Line by texting 4HOPE to 741741, or call the Franklin County Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-221-5445; the Teen Suicide Prevention Hotline at 614-294-3300; or the national Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255/TALK (1-888-628-9454 for Spanish speakers). Reach the Poison Help hotline at 800-222-1222.
