Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33882873›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2021

A cross-sectional study of opioid involvement in non-poisoning suicide - risks and prevention opportunities.

Maryann Mason, Sarah B Welch, Suzanne McLone, Tami Bartell, Patrick M Lank, Karen Sheehan, Lori Ann Post

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Opioid Misuse and Suicide-Related Outcomes Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Maryann MasonBuehler Center for Health Policy and Economics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. maryann-mason@northwestern.edu.
Sarah B WelchBuehler Center for Health Policy and Economics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Suzanne McLoneSmith Child Health Research, Outreach and Advocacy Center, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Tami BartellSmith Child Health Research, Outreach and Advocacy Center, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Patrick M LankFeinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Karen SheehanSmith Child Health Research, Outreach and Advocacy Center, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Lori Ann PostBuehler Center for Health Policy and Economics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 420 E. Superior St., Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
Northwestern University · USLurie Children's Hospital · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine prevalence, demographic, and incident factors associated with opioid-positivity in Illinois suicide decedents who died by causes other than poisoning.

methodCross-sectional study of Illinois' suicide decedents occurring between January 2015 and December 2017. Data come from the National Violent Death Reporting System. We used Chi-square tests to compare decedent and incident circumstance characteristics by opioid toxicology screen status. Incident narratives were analyzed to obtain physical and mental health histories and circumstances related to fatal injury events.

resultsOf 1007 non-poisoning suicide decedents screened for opioids, 16.4% were opioid-positive. White race, age 75 and over, and widowed or unknown marital status were associated with opioid-positivity. Among opioid-positive decedents, 25% had a history of substance use disorder (SUD), 61% depression, and 19% anxiety. The majority (52%) of opioid-positive decedents died by firearm, a higher percentage than opioid-negative decedents.

conclusionThe opioid overdose crisis largely has not overlapped with non-poisoning suicide in this study. Overall, our analyses have not identified additional risk factors for suicide among opioid-positive suicide decedents. However, the overlap between opioid-positivity, SUD, and physical and mental health problems found among decedents in our data suggest several suicide prevention opportunities. These include medication assisted treatment for SUD which has been shown to reduce suicide, screening for opioid/benzodiazepine overlap, and limiting access to lethal means during opioid use. Improved death scene investigations for substances and use of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to document prescriptions are needed to further understanding of the role of substances in non-poisoning suicide.

Indexed as

Drug OverdoseSuicideAgedAnalgesics, OpioidCross-Sectional StudiesHumansIllinoisAnalgesics, OpioidChronic health conditionsOpioidsSubstance misuseSuicide

Identifiers

PMID33882873
PMCPMC8060995
OpenAlexW3154280772

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.