Citation

Caetano R, Kaplan MS, Huguet N, Conner K, McFarland BH, Giesbrecht N, Nolte KB. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2015; 39(8): 1510-1517.

Affiliation

Office of the Medical Investigator, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/acer.12788

PMID

26173709

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Our goal was to assess the prevalence of 9 different types of precipitating circumstances among suicide decedents, and examine the association between circumstances and postmortem blood alcohol concentration (BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl) across U.S. ethnic groups.

METHODS: Data come from the restricted 2003 to 2011 National Violent Death Reporting System, with postmortem information on 59,384 male and female suicide decedents for 17 U.S. states.

RESULTS: Among men, precipitating circumstances statistically associated with a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl were physical health and job problems for Blacks, and experiencing a crisis, physical health problems, and intimate partner problem for Hispanics. Among women, the only precipitating circumstance associated with a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl was substance abuse problems other than alcohol for Blacks. The number of precipitating circumstances present before the suicide was negatively associated with a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics.

CONCLUSIONS: Selected precipitating circumstances were associated with a BAC ≥ 0.08 g/dl, and the strongest determinant of this level of alcohol intoxication prior to suicide among all ethnic groups was the presence of an alcohol problem.

Language: en