The Benefits of Treating Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders Are Wide Ranging

Although clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of pharmacological treatment of alcohol and opioid use disorders, its effects on suicidal behavior and crime have not been studied in real-world situations. Using Swedish national registry data in 2005 through 2013, investigators studied all individuals treated for alcohol or opioid use disorder with acamprosate (n=10,309), naltrexone (n=4389), buprenorphine (with or without naloxone; n=3320), or methadone (n=5449).

In within-individual analyses, criminal arrests, accidental overdoses (resulting in death or treatment), and suicidal behaviors (resulting in death or treatment) were compared when participants were on versus off substance-use treatment. To reduce confounding, the researcher…