Alcohol Consumption as a Risk Factor for Suicidal Behavior: A Systematic Review of Associations at the Individual and at the Population Level

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to provide an updated review of the magnitude of the relationship between alcohol use and suicidal behaviour at the individual and the population level. Systematic literature searches retrieved 14 reviews of individual level studies and 16 primary population level studies. Alcohol abuse and alcohol intoxication are often present in suicidal behaviour; risk of suicide is elevated in alcohol abusers and increasing population drinking tends to be associated with increase in suicide rates. Estimated magnitude of the relationship differs for men and women and it varies at the population level across cultures with different drinking pattern. These variations probably reflect gender differences and cultural variation in drinking behavior generally. Empirical evidence for a causal relationship is still urgently needed.

Keywords:

• alcohol
• drinking pattern
• individual level
• population level
• review
• suicidal behavior

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Both authors have contributed equally and authorship is in alphabetical order. We would like to thank the head librarian at the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, Johanne Longva, for help with the systematic literature searches and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on a previous version.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thor Norström

Thor Norström, Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, Oslo, Norway, and Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Ingeborg Rossow

Ingeborg Rossow, Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research, Oslo, Norway, and National Center for Suicide Research and Prevention, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.