Opioid Use Linked to High Suicide Intent

Opioid use in youth linked to mental health issues and other substance use.

New study from Illinois finds that opioid use in youth is associated with mental health issues and other substance use.

Allen Barton, lead author, says, "The societal and personal costs of opioid misuse are massive. There's been a lot of focus on trying to understand how to combat the current epidemic. But we also need to make sure we have good data in order to know how we should apply our efforts."

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‘Those engaging in opioid use are also engaging in increased levels of other forms of substances like alcohol and cannabis’
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The researchers obtained data from the 2018 Illinois Youth Survey (IYS), which measures risk behaviors in high school students. The study focused on over 26,000 respondents aged 18 to 19 years since opioid use vulnerability is highest at this stage.

Findings revealed that 5.6% (1,468) respondents reported that they had used prescription pain medication in the past year without a prescription or differently than intended (non-medical use). Additionally, 2.6% (682) reported they had used prescription painkillers to get high, which highlights the motive of use. Finally, 0.4% (105) reported using heroin in the past year.

Barton explained that those engaging in opioid use are also engaging in increased levels of other forms of substances like alcohol and cannabis. They were also found to have more mental health concerns, higher suicide intent, and reported significantly lower grades and higher levels bullying towards them.

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Doug Smith, co-author, states, “This contradicts the typical image of a non-substance-using youth who one day decides to use opioids and then gets progressively addicted. That doesn't typically happen. These kids are already using other substances, often at levels indicative of problematic use. It seems more like a progression of general substance use than specific opioid usage."

The researchers also noticed three main individual profiles of opioid use -

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1) Group one that uses opioids, but not with the intention to get high.

2) Group two with a clear motive of use to get high.

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3) Group three that's just using heroin.

Individuals from group two reported much more problematic substance abuse overall and higher suicide risk compared to other groups, Smith adds.

Baron states, "In order to address opioid use at this developmental stage, which is a transition to adulthood, we need to realize it is indicative of a broader pattern of factors related to other substance use and mental health issues that require attention. A one-step approach to just address the opioid use may not be sufficient.”

"For any youth who is getting treatment for another substance, we need to be screening for whether they're using opioids, and we need to have a prevention program within a treatment program," Smith suggests.

Source-Medindia