Australien. Opioid agonist treatment program prevents hundreds of suicides in NSW, study finds
Australien. Opioid agonist treatment program prevents hundreds of suicides in NSW, study finds
Widespread access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT) can reduce the risk of suicide by 35% among people with opioid use disorder, according to a new study, published in Addiction.
Researchers led by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney said their findings suggest the OAT program in NSW averted an estimated 338 suicides between 2001 and 2020.
“Our study underscores the critical role of OAT, including methadone and buprenorphine, as life-saving medications and a key public health intervention in reducing suicide risk among people with opioid use disorder,” said Dr Thomas Santo Jr, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NDARC and lead author of the study. (UNSW – University of South Wales, Sydney, 03.03.2025)
https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2025/03/opioid-agonist-treatment-prevents-hundreds-of-suicides-in-nsw