Characterizing Suicides among Opioid-Related Deaths

The rapidly increasing number of opioid-overdose deaths have largely been treated as accidents. However, a significant proportion of these deaths are likely suicides. By conducting psychological autopsies with family and friends of those who have died by suicide, it may be possible to measure the magnitude of misclassification and characterize factors associated with suicide and accidental deaths. This has important consequences for targeting prevention efforts.