Alcohol intake in relation to suicidal ideation and behavior among university students

Objective Heavy alcohol use has been clearly linked to risk for suicidal behaviors and is also prevalent on many American college campuses. This report uses a large sample of college students to explore relationships between alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Methods: A brief suicide screen was completed by 40,335 university students at four pariticipating sites. Assessments quantified recent depressive symptoms, alcohol use, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Results: Problems from alcohol use were consistently associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts in the previous month, and in the previous year, but the quantity of alcohol used was not. Alcohol related problems exerted effects on the likelihood of both suicide ideation and attempts beyond those explained by their relationship with depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Screens for individuals at increased risk for suicidal ideation and behavior should emphasize alcohol-related problems over quantification of alcohol intake.