More than a decade ago, Mark Ilgen, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist and Health Services Researcher at Michigan Medicine, set out to understand which psychiatric conditions have the strongest associations with suicide risk.
“In men, the condition with the strongest association was bipolar disorder, and in women, it was having a substance use disorder,” Ilgen said.
The risk of suicide associated with conditions such as substance use disorder is considerably high, but it becomes magnified for people living with both.
“Approximately 1 in 5 had opioids in their system at the time of death by suicide, and a very similar proportion of people had alcohol in their system at a level consistent with intoxication at the time of suicide death,” Ilgen explained, referencing data from the 2022 National Violent Death Reporting System that examined all suicides in the United States.
This data emphasizes the relationship between substance use and suicidality.
As associate director for adult research at the University of Michigan Addiction Center, Ilgen explains that substance use also impacts emotions, almost mirroring the mood instability people can experience with bipolar disorder.
With chronic or heavy substance use, emotional cycling can develop, as well as sleep problems.
Read the full article on the Michigan Medicine’s Health Lab Blog