Citation

Sher L. Med. Hypotheses 2005; 65(6): 1010-1012.

Affiliation

Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1051 Riverside Drive, Suite 2917, Box 42, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.mehy.2005.07.003

PMID

16122879

Abstract

Alcohol use and abuse substantially influence suicide rates. Suicide is a cause of death for a substantial percentage of individuals with alcoholism. However, the results of epidemiological studies of the relation between alcohol use and suicide have been inconsistent. Studies conducted in one nation are not always applicable to other nations. Many different factors including prevalence of various psychiatric and medical disorders, quality of psychiatric and medical care, unemployment and divorce rates and other psychosocial and demographic factors determine suicide rates in a certain region or a country. There may be a broad-based social characteristic related to social stress which is associated with high rates of a variety of stress-related behaviors, including heavy alcohol use and suicide.