Prescription drug-related suicide attempts up 49 percent among women 50 and up, new federal study says | Deseret News

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Prescription drug-related suicide attempts up 49 percent among women 50 and up,

new federal study says

By Marjorie Cortez

Deseret News

Published: Friday, June 10, 2011 11:18 p.m. MDT

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SALT LAKE CITY — Abuse of narcotic pain relievers, insomnia drugs and anxiety

drugs by women is landing a growing number of them in emergency rooms for

drug-related suicide attempts.

A recent report by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration shows a 49 percent rise in emergency department visits for

drug-related suicide attempts by women aged 50 and older between 2005 and 2009.

While some of the increase can be attributed to population growth of women in

this age group, the study found stark increases in emergency department visits

for drug-related suicide attempts involving drugs that treat anxiety, insomnia

and pain, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone products.

Dulle, clinical director of the Salt Lake substance abuse treatment

center Odyssey House, said he is personally aware of five to eight female

patients, ages 50 and up, who have been hospitalized for accidental overdoses or

suicide attempts from prescription drugs in the past 18 months.

Some report being depressed, feeling hopeless, having nowhere to go or feeling

abandoned by their support systems, sometimes because of their substance abuse.

" A lot of alcohol mixed with that makes it more dangerous and life-threatening,

too, " Dulle said.

The problem is made worse by the ready availability of many powerful and

addictive prescription drugs, he said.

" There are very few cases we see that didn't develop their addictions through

prescription drugs, " Dulle said. By the time many people enter treatment,

however, they've moved on to illegal drugs such as heroin.

Federal SAMHSA administrator Pamela S. Hyde said the steep rise in abuse of

narcotic pain relievers by women is extremely dangerous.

" We are now seeing the result of this public health crisis in our emergency

rooms. Emergency rooms should not be the frontline in our efforts to intervene.

Friends, family and all members of the community must do everything possible to

identify women who may be in crisis and do everything possible to reach out and

get them needed help, " Hyde said.

The study also found that emergency room visits for drug-related suicide

attempts increased by 30 percent across all age groups.

Emergency department visits climbed 56 percent for suicide attempts related to

abuse of anxiety and insomnia medications and 61 percent for narcotic pain

relievers.

Emergency room visits for suicide attempts involving zolpidem (commonly known as

Ambien), a drug used to treat insomnia, increased 158 percent between 2005 and

2009, primarily among patients aged 35 to 49.

, a registered nurse with Valley Mental Health's adult substance

abuse treatment program, said the overall study findings confirm what he sees in

the treatment setting.

" It does jive with what I've seen my whole nursing career. I think the situation

is getting worse, " said.

Increasingly, patients want immediate relief from pain, anxiety or insomnia,

said. Some medical caregivers are so pressed for time during patient

appointments that they don't have time to delve into the underlying causes of

poor sleep habits, anxiety or depression.

The quick " fix " is to write a prescription. Many prescription medications are

highly effective when taken appropriately and under supervision of caregivers,

he said.

" Unfortunately, most of these pills are addictive. Once you get on them, they

work really well. It's not an easy matter to get off of them, " said.

There is also a lack of available mental health care providers who can help

patients address untreated mental illness that manifests itself as physical

illness.

" Too few physicians know how to recognize depression and too few know where to

send someone for treatment of depression, " said.

Kristi , director of adult outpatient services at Odyssey House, said the

trend is hardly surprising given many patients' ready access to prescription

drugs and little follow-up between patients and prescribers.

" The state of Utah is the No. 1 abuser of prescription drugs. That's a well

kept, dirty little secret no one is talking about, " said.

When some people are prescribed pain relievers or some psychotropic medications,

" people realize 'Hey, I actually don't feel that anxiety or stress anymore,'

they abuse those medications, " she said.

said she believes there is a connection between spikes in substance

abuse and the downturn in the economy. Women ages 50 and up may have additional

challenges because they're still engaged in raising children yet may be

caregivers to aging parents.

" All of those stressers can result in substance abuse and sometimes, that's a

perceived way out, " she said.

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