Drug-Related Suicide Attempts: Increasing Disparities by Gender

• Activity Number: 190
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Monday, August 1, 2011 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Statistics in Epidemiology
• Author(s): Dhuly Chowdhury*+ and Victoria Albright and Karol Krotki
• Companies: RTI International and RTI International and RTI International
• Keywords: DAWN ; drug-related suicide attempts ; SAMHSA

Abstract

In the United States about every 15 minutes a person dies due to suicide, the fourth leading cause of death. This paper examines the number of drug-related suicide attempts (DRSAs) by gender and geographic area. Results from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), an ongoing national public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related medical emergencies of non-Federal hospitals with 24-hour emergency departments, shows that in 2009 the estimated national male and female rates for DRSAs were 51.5 and 77.4 per 100,000. However, the gender difference varies by geographic area; this difference is significant for some areas; as a result the national level estimates are different. This paper will examine the DRSAs by gender for the nation and 13 metropolitan areas and will identify the areas where the female DRSAs are significantly higher compared to the national average for female. We will also identify the most frequently used drugs involved in DRSAs. Results may indicate the need to implement programs that target specific geographic areas and potentially save lives. Furthermore, the difference between male and female rates for different age groups will be described.