Suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, major depressive episode, and substance use among adults

A new SAMHSA report on substance use and suicide. Highlights below:

Among adults who experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, 56.3% thought during their worst or most recent episode that it would be better if they were dead, 40.3% thought about committing suicide, 14.5% made a suicide plan, and 10.4% made a suicide attempt.

Adults with a past year major depressive episode who reported past month binge alcohol or illicit drug use were more likely to report suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts than their counterparts with past year depression who had not did not binge drink or use an illicit drug in the past month.

A psychiatric condition was diagnosed in 41% (43,176) of the drug-related suicide attempts treated in the emergency departments. The most frequent psychiatric diagnosis was depression.