Suicide and drug and alcohol addiction: Self-destructive behaviours. An observational study on clinic hospital population

Abstract

IntroductionSuicidal behaviour and drug and alcohol dependence represent two different aspects of self-destructive behavior.ObjectivesWe evaluated the relationship between suicidal behavior and substance and alcohol addiction. It was investigated the role of childhood trauma in these self-destructive behaviors and in the development of the two mental constructions of hopelessness and mentalization.AimsWe also assessed how a high level of hopelessness could affect suicidal ideation and how low or absent capacity of mentalization could influence the development of substance and/or alcohol addiction.MethodsThis naturalistic, observational study included 50 patients (mean age = 46.54; S.D = 14.57) recruited from the department of psychiatry (n = 18) and the centre for suicide prevention (n = 32) of Sant’Andrea Hospital (Rome). Different questionnaires were administered to each patient from February to May 2016.ResultsThere was not a statistically significant relationship between suicidal behavior and addict behavior. Childhood trauma resulted a risk factor for alcohol abuse with a relationship that tended to significance (P = 0.07). Physical and sexual abuses were significantly associated with addiction (respectively P = 0.014; P = 0.033). It was showed a statistically significant interaction between high level of hopelessness and suicidal ideation (P = 0.037). The absence of mentalization was related to the absence of alcohol abuse (P = 0.061). Finally, trauma experienced during childhood was associated with high level of hopelessness (P = 0.005).ConclusionsSuicidal behavior is influenced indirectly by a childhood traumatic experience that conditioning the level of hopelessness. Childhood trauma affected directly the development of drug abuse and alcoholism. The capacity of mentalization was not related with childhood trauma.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.