Adolescents who abuse prescribed opioids are at increased risk of suicide

“There are a number of factors that put young people at risk of misusing prescription opioids,” Natalie Wilkins, a behavioral scientist in the CDC’s School and Adolescent Health Division, said by email. “In terms of development, the brains of adolescents have not yet fully matured, which makes them more susceptible to engaging in risky and impulsive behaviors, such as substance use.”

The researchers found that current misuse of prescribed opioids – compared to misuse in the past or never – was more significantly associated with seriously considering suicide attempt, making suicide plans, and feeling sad or hopeless in the past year. . Nearly 33% of students who reported opioid misuse currently actually attempted suicide, compared with 19% of teenagers who reported past misuse and 6% of students who said they had never misused an opioid prescription.

Why students turn to opioids

The study examined the associations between prescribed opioid misuse, suicide and symptoms of depression. Whether the misuse of prescribed opioids can lead to suicide and depressive symptoms or vice versa is not yet fully known. The authors also noted that a limitation of the study was that they did not know the levels of student misuse, such as whether they occasionally misused or had an opioid disorder.

Regardless, why teenagers start using opioids misuse is a “nuanced and layered thing,” said Dr. Lucien Gonzalez, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Prevention and Substance Use Committee, who was not involved in the study.

Misuse can result from physical pain relief from a medical procedure, curiosity, socialization or succumbing to peer pressure, Gonzalez said. Some teenagers may misuse it to relieve tension, emotional pain, mental problems, or suicidal thoughts; or they may want to feel the euphoria that they heard about from other people.

Regarding the association with suicide, substances like opioids and alcohol can reduce inhibitions, said Gonzalez, who is also an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Minnesota medical school. This can make some people less likely to prevent themselves from carrying out the ideation or attempted suicide.

Disparities between minorities

There were striking disparities between the different students: more women; Black; Hispanic; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or unsafe teenagers currently use prescription opioids the wrong way than male and white teenagers. Some of the minority groups also had higher rates of feelings of suicide, sadness or hopelessness compared to rates for white men and young people. And the differences between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual and insecure students were extreme – 23.9% of lesbian, gay or bisexual students and 14.5% of insecure students attempted suicide, compared with 6.4% of heterosexual teens . Twelve percent of lesbian, gay or bisexual teenagers and 11.5% of unsafe teenagers reported the current misuse of prescribed opioids, compared with 6.4% of heterosexual students.

The biggest risks that lesbian, gay, bisexual and insecure teenagers face are not caused directly by their sexuality, but by the way some people treat them because of it, Green said. “They are much more likely to experience discrimination, victimization (and) stigma because of their identity,” said Green, who is also an assistant adjunct professor at the University of California, San Diego. Green was not involved in the study.

“These experiences lead to these feelings of internalized shame, stigma, depression, which tend to result in things like suicidal thoughts, misuse of prescription drugs – including opioids – to try to cope with the pain and suffering they are feeling,” Green said.

“When LGBTQ youth are supported and affirmed in their identities, when they have schools that are LGBTQ and their parents accept them, they are at significantly less risk of actually considering and attempting suicide,” she added.

White students reported more commonly the misuse of opioids prescribed in the past, seriously considering suicide and making a suicide plan than students of other races or ethnicities. But fewer white students reported suicide attempts.

Safety and cure of prescribed opioid misuse

“Because children can move quickly from conception to performance,” parents must create a safe environment around children and adolescents who may have thoughts of suicide, said Gonzalez.

Signs that could be indicative of substance misuse or another problem include the following, according to Gonzalez:

Given the common reasons behind opioid misuse, how we prevent students from “suffering so much” is crucial, said Green.

Parents should take any concerns to their children’s pediatrician or take them to a behavioral health clinic if the child wants to, said Gonzalez.

“It starts with talking to their son, and it doesn’t even have to start with, ‘I’m worried about the drugs’. It’s’ I’m worried about you. Are you okay?’ “, He added.