Deaths of celebrities and substance use: a qualitative investigation

Abstract

Raising awareness of the dangers of drugs is one of the most effective means of preventing addiction. This qualitative study was conducted to provide approachable and truly illustrative examples of the depredations of substance use among celebrities. The authors’ analyzed deaths related to substance use and defined their causes through thematic analysis as external causes such as accidents and suicide or internal causes such as medical complications. The ten deaths due to lethal overdoses were related to compulsive substance use, which according to the medical diagnostic criteria of DSM-5 is diagnosed as substance use disorder. Suicide after substance use commonly follows a history of depression or impulsive acts. This study is expected to help raise public awareness of the dangers of substance use by investigating deaths of celebrities related to substance use.