Suicidal ideation among drug-dependent treatment-seeking inner-city pregnant women

The current retrospective study compared the psychiatric and lifestyle characteristics of two groups of treatment-seeking pregnant, opiate and/or cocaine dependent women admitted to the Center for Addiction and Pregnancy (CAP). Women reporting past and/or current suicidal ideation (SI) (46%; n = 35) were compared to women who did not report thoughts of suicidal ideation (NSI) (54%; n = 41). SI women were more likely to be homeless (p =.020), to report histories of emotional (p =.022), physical (p < 001), sexual abuse (p =.002) and psychiatric treatment (p <.001), and less likely to be married (p =.024) than NSI women. Psychiatrically, SI women were more likely to have co-morbid current and lifetime disorders than NSI women. These findings highlight the need to identify women with histories of suicidal ideation, recognize the potential relapse risk imposed by emotional distress, and confront these issues in treatment.