Citation

Lange S, Jiang H, Bagge C, Probst C, Tran A, Rehm J. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00127-022-02225-x

PMID

35032174

Abstract

PURPOSE: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been on the rise in the recent years in the US. There is a well-known link between heavy alcohol use/alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. An increase in the respective risk relationships is one way in which heavy alcohol use/AUDs may be driving the increase in the rate of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The objective of the current study was to investigate whether the gender-specific risk relationships between heavy alcohol use/AUDs and past-year (1) suicidal thoughts and (2) attempted suicide have increased over time.

METHODS: Individual-level annual data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the past 12 years (2008-2019) were utilized. Year- and gender-specific multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were first conducted. Gender-stratified random-effects meta-regressions across study years were then conducted.

RESULTS: Heavy alcohol use/AUDs were associated with elevated odds of past-year suicidal thoughts and attempted suicide for both men and women; however, a linear increase in the risk relationships over time was not found.

CONCLUSION: Although a temporal increase in the risk relationships of interest was not found, until additional research in this area is conducted, heavy alcohol use/AUDs cannot be ruled out as being a driving force behind the increasing rate of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the US.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide attempt; Alcohol use disorders; Heavy alcohol use; Risk relationship; Suicidal thoughts; Temporal trend