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Commonly used medications for alcohol and opioid addictions have been shown for the first time to reduce the risk of suicidal behaviour and accidental overdose.

Photograph of a glass medical ampoule vial for injection with a syringe

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Researchers from the University of Oxford, the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, the University of Colorado and Örebro University, Sweden, studied more than 21,000 individuals in Sweden who received treatment with at least one of four medications used to treat alcohol and opioid use disorders (acamprosate, naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine).

They compared rates of suicidal behaviour, accidental overdose, and crime for the same individuals during the period when they were receiving the medication compared with the period when they were not.

Find out more (University of Oxford website)

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