Substance abuse closely tied to suicide, experts say today

BOARDMAN

Behavioral health, substance abuse treatment and clinical health organizations working together is the best way to treat substance abuse and prevent suicide.

Behavioral health is essential to health in general, said Capt. Jeffrey Coady, PsyD, Region 5 administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Coady, a commissioned officer in the U.S. Public Health Service who oversees six states, including Ohio, for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, was a featured speaker at a Tuesday workshop, “The Interconnectedness between Substance Abuse Disorders and Suicide,” at The Embassy.

The purpose of SAMHSA is to improve the quality and availability of prevention, treatment and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses.

Substance abuse is one of the key risk factors in attempted suicide because it causes impaired judgement leading to consideration of short-term rather than long-term consequences, Coady said.

“Substance abuse is a chronic illness, not a moral failure. Prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover,” he said.

Read more about the matter in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.