OBJECTIVE: Suicide is an important public health problem in China. Elsewhere, injection drug use and HIV infection have independently been associated with suicidality, but research has often overlooked these high-risk groups in China. We determined the frequency and predictors of suicidal ideas in Chinese HIV-infected (HIV(+)) and HIV-uninfected (HIV(-)) heroin injection drug users (IDUs) in treatment and a control sample. We hypothesized that rates of suicidal ideas would be significantly higher among IDUs compared with controls and highest among HIV IDUs. METHOD: We assessed suicidal ideas within the past 2 weeks in HIV(+) (n = 204) and HIV(-) (n = 202) heroin IDUs in methadone treatment in Yunnan, a province at the intersection of the heroin and HIV epidemics, and in demographically matched HIV non-drug-using controls (n = 201). RESULTS: Rates of suicidality were higher in IDUs than controls, but there was no additive effect of HIV infection (HIV(+) IDU: 43.1%; HIV(-) IDU: 37.1%; controls: 8.5%). Among HIV(+) IDUs, suicidality was associated most strongly with a combination of prior history of major depression, low perceived social support, and experience of HIV-relevant stress, but not with AIDS diagnosis. Among HIV(-) IDUs, suicidality was associated with prior history of major depressive or alcohol use disorder. Less than 25% of IDUs with suicidality had histories of mood or alcohol use diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Because suicidal ideation is frequent in IDUs in China, regardless of HIV status, and is not fully accounted for by past psychiatric history, additional research may be warranted.
OBJECTIVE: Suicide is an important public health problem in China. Elsewhere, injection drug use and HIV infection have independently been associated with suicidality, but research has often overlooked these high-risk groups in China. We determined the frequency and predictors of suicidal ideas in Chinese HIV-infected (HIV(+)) and HIV-uninfected (HIV(-)) heroin injection drug users (IDUs) in treatment and a control sample. We hypothesized that rates of suicidal ideas would be significantly higher among IDUs compared with controls and highest among HIV IDUs. METHOD: We assessed suicidal ideas within the past 2 weeks in HIV(+) (n = 204) and HIV(-) (n = 202) heroin IDUs in methadone treatment in Yunnan, a province at the intersection of the heroin and HIV epidemics, and in demographically matched HIV non-drug-using controls (n = 201). RESULTS: Rates of suicidality were higher in IDUs than controls, but there was no additive effect of HIV infection (HIV(+) IDU: 43.1%; HIV(-) IDU: 37.1%; controls: 8.5%). Among HIV(+) IDUs, suicidality was associated most strongly with a combination of prior history of major depression, low perceived social support, and experience of HIV-relevant stress, but not with AIDS diagnosis. Among HIV(-) IDUs, suicidality was associated with prior history of major depressive or alcohol use disorder. Less than 25% of IDUs with suicidality had histories of mood or alcohol use diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Because suicidal ideation is frequent in IDUs in China, regardless of HIV status, and is not fully accounted for by past psychiatric history, additional research may be warranted.
Authors: M Y Zhang; R Katzman; D Salmon; H Jin; G J Cai; Z Y Wang; G Y Qu; I Grant; E Yu; P Levy Journal: Ann Neurol Date: 1990-04 Impact factor: 10.422
Authors: Stacey Carroll Williams; Melissa Ann Davey-Rothwell; Karin E Tobin; Carl Latkin Journal: Subst Use Misuse Date: 2017-06-02 Impact factor: 2.164
Authors: Allan Kalungi; Soraya Seedat; Sian M J Hemmings; Lize van der Merwe; Moses L Joloba; Ann Nanteza; Noeline Nakassujja; Harriet Birabwa; Jennifer Serwanga; Pontiano Kaleebu; Eugene Kinyanda Journal: BMC Genet Date: 2017-07-25 Impact factor: 2.797