Citation

Larkin C, Griffin E, Corcoran P, McAuliffe C, Perry IJ, Arensman E. Crisis 2017; 38(6): 413-422.

Affiliation

School of Public Health, University College Cork, Ireland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Publisher Hogrefe Publishing)

DOI

10.1027/0227-5910/a000488

PMID

29183241

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Alcohol misuse and alcohol consumption are significant risk factors for suicidal behavior. AIMS: This study sought to identify factors associated with alcohol consumption in cases of suicide and nonfatal self-harm presentations.

METHOD: Suicide cases in Cork, Ireland, from September 2008 to June 2012 were identified through the Suicide Support and Information System. Emergency department presentations of self-harm in the years 2007-2013 were obtained from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland.

RESULTS: Alcohol consumption was detected in the toxicology of 44% out of 307 suicide cases. Only younger age was significantly associated with having consumed alcohol among suicides. Alcohol consumption was noted in the case notes in 21% out of 8,145 self-harm presentations. Logistic regression analyses indicated that variables associated with having consumed alcohol in a self-harm presentation included male gender, older age, overdose as a method, not being admitted to a psychiatric ward, and presenting out-of-hours. LIMITATIONS: Data was limited to routinely collected variables by the two different monitoring systems.

CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption commonly precedes suicidal behavior, and several factors differentiated alcohol-related suicidal acts. Self-harm cases, in particular, differ in profile when alcohol is consumed and may require a tailored clinical approach to minimize risk of further nonfatal or fatal self-harm.

Language: en

Keywords

alcohol; psychological autopsy; registry; self-harm; suicide