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In a representative sample of 535 young suicide attempters, the authors have tried to classify the subjects according to socio-demographic, psychological, medical, and family variables. Using a method of automatic classification (the dynamic clusters method) 4 types of suicide attempters emerged. Factors of suicidal risk on the one hand and of relapse on the other hand have been brought out for each of these groups. This study should make possible a better approach to the primary and secondary prevention of suicide.

The study of outpatients care modalities offered to young drug-addicts by a specialized Institution (ABBAYE) shows a large diversity. This diversity goes with the heterogeneity of such a population. About one third of it — poly-intoxicated subjects with no familial and social insertion — takes up the main part of the teams activity and, most of the time, also calls on other institutions. An other third is handled by regular interviews with one person consulted. Drug-habit is heavy for two out of three of these subjects, but social insertion is not too seriously compromised. The remaining part of the population receives differentiated cares. Sociological factors are stongly correlated with the given type of cares. This study opens the way for an evaluative work on prevention and care processes and clearly shows the importance of sociological factors regarding therapeutical indication for young users of psychoactive-drugs.

An epidemiological survey was carried out in 1980 in two regions of France, in which the attempted suicide rate per 100,000 is 120 for males and 245 for females. The investigation was focussed on first attempts. Homogenous subgroups were identified by multiple correspondence analysis based on social, demographic and personal items. Age was found to be a highly discriminate variable. Further analyses helped to describe the identified group more fully.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in France in March 1988 to measure the impact made on drug abusers by educational campaigns concerning HIV transmission and the lifting of restrictions on the sale of syringes. Thirty-two drug-dependence centers provided a sample of 479 subjects who, compared with 4, 846 subjects enrolled in 1986, were found to differ particularly in the type of substance used. Since no observations were made before the introduction of the preventive measures, the changes cannot be attributed to these alone. However, mean profiles were obtained by comparing the different groups, the results obtained remaining dependent on the method of recruitment (specialized centers) and the retrospective nature of the data.

415 Parisian pre-school children were followed up during 3 years (1974-1977). Four epidemiological questionnaires provided information on the familial, social situation and also on the physical and psychological development of the child of 3, 9, 18 and 36 months old. A cluster analysis was applied on the behaviour variables of the 3 year old child and three different groups were identified. Most children (69%) belong to the first group, characterized by the absence of difficulties or the presence of a few minor symptoms, 10% of the children belong to the third group a "high risk group" because of their symptom frequency. Half-way between the 2 described groups, a "low risk group" (21%) was identified. The reliability of this analysis was born out by the study of the family (especially their social economic situation and the parents' mental health). This research also revealed the precocity of the symptoms in high risk children.415 enfants parisiens (XlVè Arr.) ont été suivis de 3 mois à 3 ans à l'aide de quatre questionnaires successifs portant à la fois sur leur développement et leur environnement familial et social. Grâce à l'application d'une méthode d'analyse typologique aux variables concernant la santé et le comportement de l'enfant de trois ans, trois groupes homogènes ont été identifiés. Si la majorité des enfants (69%) se retrouvent dans le groupe I dont l'état est satisfaisant, à l'opposé, 10% constituent le groupe III et présentent avec une fréquence élevée des troubles qui incitent à les considérer comme des sujets à "haut-risque". Un groupe intermédiaire (groupe II, 21%) peut être défini comme à "faible-risque". L'étude des caractéristiques parentales renforce les différences entre les groupes et valide la classification. Le caractère prospectif de l'étude permet en outre de mettre en évidence l'apparition précoce des troubles dans le groupe à haut risque.

This collaborative, anonymous, case-control study was intended to determine the prevalence of opiates, cocaine metabolites, cannabinoids and amphetamines in the urine of drivers injured in road accidents and to compare these values with those of non-accident subjects (“patients”) in France. Recruitment was performed nationwide in the emergency departments of five hospitals and comprised 296 “drivers” aged 18 to 35 and 278 non-traumatic “patients” in the same age range. Females represented 28.4% of “drivers” and 44.2% of “patients.” Screening for drugs in urine was performed by fluorescence polarization immunoassays in each center. Each positive result was verified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), in a single laboratory. Statistical analysis comprised single-step logistic regression and simultaneously took account of confounding factors and the final differences in prevalence values between the two populations or different subgroups.Cannabinoids were found in 13.9% of drivers (16.0% of males and 8.3% of females, p< 0.05) and 7.5% of patients (12.3% of males, 1.6% of females, p< 0.0001): only in females was this prevalence higher in injured drivers than in patients (p< 0.05). Opiates were present in 10.5% of drivers' and 10.4% of patients' urine samples (NS), and were more frequent in urine samples positive for cannabinoids, in drivers (p< 0.01) as well as in patients (p< 0.001). The prevalence of cocaine metabolites in drivers and patients was 1.0 and 1.1% and that of amphetamines 1.4 and 2.5%, respectively.No causal relationship between drugs and accidents should be inferred from this retrospective study. Nevertheless, the high prevalence of cannabis and opiate (licit or illicit) use in young people, whether injured drivers or patients, has potential implications for road traffic safety in France. Cocaine and amphetamines did not appear to be a major problem, unlike the experience in other countries.