Non-fatal overdose in the 12 months following treatment for substance use disorders

Background: Overdose (OD) is a leading Cause of mortality and morbidity for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDS), and there are limited prospective data on OD during the months following treatment for SUDS. Methods: Variables associated with an OD in the 12 months after leaving an initial treatment episode were examined in an analysis of the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcomes Study (DATOS), a longitudinal naturalistic multisite study. Participants included 2966 patients with one or more SUDS. Non-fatal OD was ascertained by a positive response to "In the past 12 months, have you overdosed on drugs?" Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify variables associated with OD. Results: By 12 months, 93 (3.1%) participants reported one or more ODs. Variables associated with OD were lifetime history of OD, injection drug use (IDU), male sex, greater pain, and history of sexual abuse. Conclusions: OD-risk appears to be increased by IDU, lifetime OD, sexual abuse history, and pain. The latter finding is novel for a prospective report and requires further study. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.