Alcohol, Suicide, & Adolescents
One of the most tragic and least-discussed consequences of adolescent alcohol use is that of suicide. There are “consistent positive correlations” among adolescent drinking, depression and suicidality, with comorbidity approaching 73% (Ganz & Sher, 2009). While the relationship among these is not a matter of simple causation – but probably some form of multidirectional causality – it appears that alcohol abuse functions as a catalyst for (or intensifier of) the emotional distress which can precipitate suicidal and parasuicidal behavior (Pridemore, 2006; Sher, 2006).
Recently, Swahn and colleagues (2010), in their analysis of the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey, found that pre-teen alcohol use initiation was an important risk factor for suicide attempts.
Understanding these dynamics is crucial, as suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among Americans ages 10-24 (Heron, 2007).
The long and the short of it? Interventions which delay the onset of drinking and reduce adolescent alcohol use save kids’ lives, and consequently limit the devastating family trauma that accompanies self-inflicted death (Lindqvist, Johansson, & Karlsson, 2008).
References:
Ganz, D., & Sher, L. (2009). Suicidal behavior in adolescents with comorbid depression and alcohol abuse. Minerva Pediatrica, 61(3), 333-347.
Heron, M. (2007). Deaths: Leading causes for 2004. National Vital Statistics Report, 56(5). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [free full text]
Pridemore, W. A. (2006). Heavy drinking and suicide in Russia. Social Forces, 85(1), 413-430.
Schneider, B. (2009). Substance use disorders and risk for completed suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 13(4), 303-316.
Sher, L. (2006). Alcohol consumption and suicide. QJM, 99(1), 57-61.
Sher, L., Sperling, D., Stanley, B. H., Carballo, J. J., Shoval, G., Zalsman, G., et al. (2007). Triggers for suicidal behavior in depressed older adolescents and young adults: Do alcohol use disorders make a difference? International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 19(1), 91-98.
Swahn, M. H., Bossarte, R. M., Ashby, J. S., & Meyers, J. (2010). Pre-teen alcohol use initiation and suicide attempts among middle and high school students: Findings from the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey. Addictive Behaviors, 35(5), 452-458.
