Prolonged risk of suicide reattempts in patients with alcohol use disorder and acute alcohol use: A register-based follow-up study (2010-2015)

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to clarify the role of acute alcohol use and alcohol use disorder in individuals exhibiting suicidal behaviors, including repetition of suicide attempt. Methods Data pertaining to 691 suicide attempters who had visited an emergency center and had been followed-up from 2010 to 2015 were gathered. Participants were categorized into following three groups according to alcohol use pattern at the time of the suicide attempt: 1) suicide attempters with neither alcohol use disorder nor acute alcohol consumption (NAU), 2) suicide attempters who had used alcohol during the suicide attempt but did not have alcohol use disorder (AAU), and 3) suicide attempters with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Group comparisons and multivariate Cox proportional models for suicidal behavior were used for statistical analysis. Results AUD have been shown to have lower lethality of suicide attempt but higher risk of suicide reattempts in the future. Furthermore, positive relationships between suicide reattempts and AUD persisted throughout the longer period than other groups. Conclusion Suicide attempters with AUD should be considered a high-risk group for suicide reattempts in future, and this group should be followed-up for a longer period with specialized care program.