Study Looks at Opioid Prescriptions, Suicidal Behavior

A new study has found that among Swedish young people who were studied, those who were prescribed opioids had a 19% greater risk of suicidal behavior compared to those who took prescription NSAIDs. The study, “Initiation of Opioid Prescription and Risk of Suicidal Behavior among Youth and Young Adults,” which will be published in the March 2022 issue of Pediatrics (posted online Feb. 7), used nationwide Swedish data on suicide and other clinically diagnosed self-injury to examine a gap in the understanding of the adverse effects of opioid analgesic prescription to youth and young adults. The authors note that although this association was statistically significant, it was small, corresponding to three additional opioid initiators per 1,000 experiencing suicidal behavior within five years. Opioid initiation may make up only a small part of the elevated risk of suicidal behavior among young people receiving pharmacologic pain management, the authors note. In weighing benefits and harms of opioid initiation, the results suggest that increased risk of suicidal behavior may not be a major concern, they conclude.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.